The Crimson Star Priestess
by RaisingHeartExelion
Summary: Estelle suddenly ends up in the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's dimension after an incident and finds herself in a plot somewhat different from the anime she watched. It's way too brutal than it should be. What is her purpose in this world? Why is Yliaster after her? Yusei/OC(Estelle), Jack/Carly, Leo/OC(Laila), Akiza/Sherry, slight Akiza/OC(Estelle), slight Crow/OC(Beatrix) Cover by Akane Raikou
1. A Dream Being Real

**Hello, ladies and gentlemen! It's time for a new story and a new OC of mine. I hope you'll enjoy it.**

**You can find the link of Estelle's appearance on my profile. She is almost 100% based on me.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 1: A Dream Being Real?!**

I sat in the backseat of Dad's car as we were on our way home. We have been in the game center Dragon's Lair located in Stockholm to play Yu-Gi-Oh!, or more precisely just me. Dad was very kind to drive me to and from Stockholm since I didn't like traveling alone with the train.

I was listening to the songs that played through the radio and kept singing along if I was into the rhythm, even though I was tired from long and exhausting Duels.

"Så, hur var det där idag? (So, how was it there today?)" Dad asked.

I shrugged, "Bra, antar jag. (Good, I guess.)"

"Känner du dig trött? (Do you feel tired?)"

"Så klart att jag gör. Du vet ju att jag alltid blir trött efter flera dueller. (Of course I do. You know I always get tired after several Duels.)"

After that, we remained quiet as the radio kept playing songs. I closed my eyes to get some rest while Dad drove on the highway. I kept thinking on my new crush that was a fiction character. I couldn't help but blush when I thought about him. I knew deep inside I was too old with my 22 years to even play Yu-Gi-Oh!, or Duel Monsters sounded a lot better, and have a crush on a character that didn't exist. But, hello! A girl can dream, right?

My eyes snapped open when I heard a loud honk from outside and then felt Dad's car lose control.

"Vad händer?! (What's happening?!)" I panicked.

"Estelle, håll i- (Estelle, hold on-)"

It didn't take so long until we felt something crash into the car and made it spin around violently. I tried holding on, but then something crashed onto me and I felt nothing but pain rush through my body. That was when everything turned black with a tint of crimson...

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I heard voices that sounded unknown yet familiar which woke me up from the darkness. Everything looked so blurry when I opened my eyes. I had to wear glasses since I was nearsighted, but I didn't have them on me.

I groaned and slowly sat up, rubbing my face. I heard the voices gasp in relief when they noticed I was awake.

"You're awake!" a young boy's voice exclaimed happily.

I turned to the left and saw two blurry figures. I tried to reach out for my glasses, but one of the figures acted faster and put the glasses in my outstretched hand.

"Here you are", a girl's voice said.

I nodded as thanks before putting on my glasses. I blinked a couple of times to adjust my eyes before I looked at the children. I almost gasped loudly when I recognized them.

*_D-De är...tvillingarna Leo och Luna från Yu-Gi-Oh! __5D's! Drömmer jag?! (T-They're...the twins Leo and Luna from the show Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's! Am I dreaming?!)_*

"Hey, you okay, Miss?" Leo asked.

*_De...låter exakt som i det engelska programmet... __(They…sound exactly as in the English show…)_*

"Where am I...?" I asked carefully.

"My brother and I found you unconscious not so far from our home", Luna said. "We brought you here since it started raining."

"You've been out for like three hours", Leo added.

This was getting even stranger. Was this a dream I fell into after I lost consciousness when the other car had crashed into Dad's car? I took a look at myself and noticed I was wearing the same clothes as I had been wearing before.

My outfit consisted of a black top with long sleeves, a red jacket with short sleeves, jeans that hugged my legs and white socks. I looked down at the floor and spotted my black long-length boots that almost reached my knees. In case you wondered about some other details about my appearance, I had dark blue-rammed glasses, blue eyes, skinny and very white skin, and thick half-wavy chestnut brown hair reaching to my chest.

I swung my legs over the side of the couch and spotted my wine red shoulder-bag next to the couch as well. I quickly reached for it and zipped it open to see all my belongings in there except my Yu-Gi-Oh! card holder, but strangely my Yu-Gi-Oh! steel box was still there.

"Ehh... Miss? Is everything okay?" Leo asked.

I looked up from my bag and suddenly felt nervous when the twins watched me intensely. How was I going to explain this situation?

"Y-Yes, I think so...", I replied.

"Do you remember who you are?" Luna asked.

I nodded, "Yes, I do... But who are you two?"

Leo grinned, "I'm Leonardo, but please call me Leo, and this is my twin-sister Luna!" He gestured at his sister. "Now, who are _you_?"

I hesitated for a second. "Estelle. Estelle Malmström." I looked around in the giant living room. "Where are we?"

"You're at our apartment in the area called the Tops", Luna answered.

"Only the super richest people can live here", Leo bragged.

I put on my boots and stood up properly with my shoulder-bag, its strap resting on my left shoulder. I had a feeling it would be better to leave and not be a burden for the twins since I came from a different dimension.

"Thank you for looking after me while I had been unconscious, but I should go", I nodded, walking to the door. "I need to go and find answers."

"Answers? For what?" Leo asked.

"How I ended up here in the first place", I replied.

"You mean, you're not from New Domino City, Estelle?" Luna asked.

I nodded, "Correct."

"But even if you leave, where will you stay?" Leo asked the biggest question.

He did have a good point. Where could I stay? Since I didn't belong in this world, I had no one to turn to and get help. But maybe... No, it would be too much to ask for.

I felt someone take hold on my hand. I looked down to see Luna had walked up to me and grabbed my right hand. She had gentle eyes as she squeezed the hand a bit.

"If you want... You can stay here with me and Leo", Luna suggested.

My eyes widened by surprise by the offer. Did Luna really trust me, a stranger to add, to stay with her and her brother?

"Are you sure about it?" I asked to be certain. "I mean, you don't know me and what about your parents?"

"I can tell you are a trust-worthy person", Luna replied. "You've got this gentle aura that tells us you're kind."

"And our parents wouldn't mind", Leo added as he walked up to us. "They're never home and we used to have a babysitter a while ago, but she had to quit because she was transferred for her real job."

The twins smiled excitedly and kindly, like they were hoping I would accept the offer. I decided to stay for a while and see if I could get a few clues about how I ended up in a fictional world.

"Okay", I nodded with a small smile. "I'll stay. And thank you."


	2. The Meeting

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 2: The Meeting**

It had been a month since I woke up in the fictional world of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. Leo and Luna had called their parents and let them interview me for the job as the twins' babysitter. When I passed the interview, the parents were so kind they let me stay in their apartment.

I had met Leo's best friend Dexter who reminded me of Téa Gardner with his hair style and color and Yugi Mutou with the small lighting bang on his forehead. He could be their grandchild, but he had brown eyes. Neither Yugi nor Téa had brown eyes from what I could remember from the first Yu-Gi-Oh! anime.

When the twins learned I had a Deck, Luna lent me her Duel Disk before I got my own so Leo could challenge me over and over again, but he always lost against me. I wasn't a great Duelist, but I did have good strategies with my Celestial Deck.

The twins were so kind they bought me some clothes and even a Duel Disk. It was the same model as their own, but mine was yellowish/golden to represent my Celestial Deck and I loved the colors yellow and golden.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

It was now the end of June, slowly moving into July. The weather was sunny and warm so the twins and I decided to swim in the pool today. Dexter had come over to play with Leo and Luna. I was wearing a bikini; the top was black while the lower part was red, and my hair was tied up into a messy bun.

I stood by the pool and looked at the scenery of the high-tech city. I was thinking about the upcoming events that would probably take place soon. A few nights ago, my right arm started to burn and I had felt an enormous energy wash through my body. It took like a few seconds before it calmed down, but I had noticed a crimson light coming from my arm. I spotted a star in the shape of a pentagram on said arm before the light disappeared.

If that pentagram mark had something to do with the Signers, then I wasn't aware of this star mark, or at least not what I could remember from the show.

"Estelle!" Leo called, making me turn around to look at the kids in the pool. "Why are you just standing there? Hop in!"

I smiled lightly before walking over to the stairs and jumped in, playing with the children for the rest of the day.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I was getting a strange feeling during the evening. The twins and I were in the living room, going through our Decks. Luna got invited to a competition; the Fortune Cup. But Leo was going to take her place since Luna didn't feel comfortable with Dueling. The strange part was I also got an invitation by this Lazar character when he showed up at home. For some reason, he and Goodwin got the note about me and thought they would invite me for the competition.

I was really worried when the government would find out I did actually not exist in this world. Then I would get in _big_ trouble.

The twins and I kept checking our cards and thinking out good strategies when I suddenly felt a sting of pain in my right arm. I thought it was the muscles for a second, but then I grimaced when I felt the pain becoming stronger.

Luna must have sensed something as well because she gasped and looked up from her cards.

"What's wrong, Luna?" Leo asked.

I placed my cards on the table and walked to the door/elevator. The twins looked at me before they rushed after me. I waited for them before I pushed the down button. Leo kept asking me and Luna what was going on, but none of us answered. I was sure I would meet my crush now, but I wasn't going to let my inner fangirl take over.

As soon as the elevator reached the ground floor, I rushed out with the twins following me. I ran to an alleyway and saw a red damaged Duel Runner on the ground. Right next to the Runner laid a body which I quickly recognized. I ran straight to Yusei's side and knelt down to see if he was seriously injured.

"Estelle, who's that?" Leo asked.

"Is he okay?" Luna asked worriedly.

I let out a sigh of relief when I didn't find any serious wounds before looking at the twins. "He only lost consciousness by the crash." I stood up slowly while putting Yusei's right arm over my shoulders and holding onto him with my other hand. "Take his Runner. He needs help."

Luna wanted to argue, but Leo interrupted her by walking over to the Duel Runner and tried to pull it up. Luna sighed before she helped her brother. I walked slowly and carefully with Yusei, feeling a bit warm by having my crush so close to me.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yusei was still out cold when the twins and I checked him in the morning. I told the twins to look after the young man as I went out to buy groceries since we were running low on supplies. It took half an hour to get to the closest grocery store and buy the supplies before a thirty minutes' walk back home waited for me.

By the time I returned, I noticed Sector Security was standing outside with vehicles and Officer Trudge was trying to convince the guard that a criminal was inside the Tops. I managed to get past the turbulent and made it to the elevator. When I stepped out of the elevator, I saw Yusei was awake and Leo was bragging about how only super rich people could live at the Tops.

"Leo, it's not politely to brag about how wealthy you are, especially to strangers", I told him as I placed down the two heavy plastic bags on the floor, moaning in relief when my arms felt lighter.

The twins and Yusei turned around when they heard me.

"Welcome back, Estelle!" Luna greeted.

"I see our guest is awake now", I glanced at Yusei with a small smile as I took off my red jacket.

"Yeah! But he's got amnesia and doesn't remember his name", Leo said before looking at Yusei. "That's our new babysitter Estelle. We found her in another alleyway just like how we found you and she has been living with us ever since."

"I see...", Yusei mumbled.

Luna helped me carry the plastic bags to the kitchen and then put away the supplies, but not the ones I was going to use to make lunch.

"It's almost lunchtime. Is chicken curry okay, children?" I asked.

"YES!" the twins cheered happily, making me chuckle.

I turned to Yusei. "How about you, Mister Crab Man?"

"Mister Crab Man?" Yusei arched an eyebrow confusedly while the twins snickered in the background.

"Your hair has almost the same shape of a crab", I explained.

"Thanks, but-", Yusei was about to decline when his stomach growled, causing him to blush slightly in embarrassment.

I shook my head as I tied my hair into a low ponytail. "You need to recover your strength and it's not safe for you to go outside with no memories."

"Estelle's got a good point", Leo nodded while looking at Yusei. "What if you're on a mission for a secret organization? You need to remember to complete that mission!"

"Leo! He couldn't possibly be a member of an organization!" Luna retorted.

"But what if he _is_?!"

"He's not!"

"Children, no fighting", I warned them calmly like a mother.

"Sorry!" both of them apologized.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

When we finished eating, I gave Yusei his jacket and gloves which I had washed during the night and let them dry in the morning.

"Now that you got your jacket on, take a deep breath and say "My name is…" and then say your name", Leo suggested.

"He's tried that ten times!" Luna said, annoyed by the repeating circle. "It's obviously not working, Leo."

"Well, it worked on TV", Leo retorted.

I sighed, "Leo, you're big enough to understand TV is different from reality. What you watch isn't always true, especially entertainment programs."

Leo ignored me and kept talking to Yusei who looked at Leo's shrine; posters of Jack Atlas and action figures of said person in his Duel Runner and his Red Dragon Archfiend.

"Hey, whatcha lookin' at?" Leo noticed Yusei wasn't focusing on him.

"Those...", Yusei nodded at the stuff, making us all turn to Leo's shrine.

"Oh, that's my shrine!" Leo smiled happily. "Jack Atlas is like my all-time hero. He's the greatest! No one can beat him in a Turbo Duel!" I chuckled to myself when I remembered Yusei _did_ defeat Jack. "And one day, I'm gonna be the champ just like Jack!"

"You can't even ride a normal bike", Luna pointed out.

"I stayed up for 12 seconds last time I tried!" Leo retorted before turning his attention back on Yusei. "So, does Jack Atlas mean anything to you?"

"Yeah, but I don't know why...", Yusei answered unsurely.

"Maybe you're a fan of his too, or maybe you were hoping to Duel him", Leo suggested. "I mean, you _are_ a Turbo Duelist."

"How'd you know that?" Yusei asked.

"Because we found you next to that Duel Runner there", I pointed my thumb over my shoulder towards the Duel Runner next to the elevator.

Yusei was quiet as he walked over to the Duel Runner. The twins and I followed him with our eyes.

"Am I right about you? Are you a big-time Duelist who's in town to Duel Jack?" Leo asked Yusei excitedly.

"I don't think I'm a big-time anything", Yusei answered as he inspected the Duel Runner.

I sighed sadly as I crossed my arms. If he only knew he was much more than what he imagined himself.

"Maybe you should try hypnotizing him, Leo", Luna said sarcastically.

"Luna...", I said with my warning tone.

"Sorry", Luna sighed.

Leo glared at his sister before running to the shrine where Luna's invitation to the Fortune Cup was and grabbed it before rushing to Yusei. "Mister, maybe you have one of these. I'll take it out, you tell me if it looks familiar."

"Okay", Yusei agreed.

Luna and I watched as the boys exchanged words with each other until Leo said excitedly that Goodwin had chosen him to enter the competition.

"Actually, they selected _me_ and Estelle", Luna interrupted.

Leo growled at his sister who had interrupted him. "Technically, they selected Luna, but she's too scared to enter. So I'm going to pretend to be her and enter and then win that thing!"

"That's if Estelle doesn't defeat you in the final", Luna commented. "Besides, no one is going to believe that you're me, Leo."

Leo rushed to his sister with an angry expression. "Why wouldn't they believe? We're twins! We look just alike!"

While the twins argued, I walked over to Yusei who kept looking at the invitation, trying to trigger his memories.

"It doesn't remind you of anything?" I asked.

Yusei shook his head. "Nothing at all." He turned his attention on me. "So you're going to enter the Fortune Cup?"

I blushed when I made eye-contact with Yusei, but collected myself. "Yeah... But I wouldn't call myself a great Duelist." I played with a lock of my hair which was now down. "I lose often with my Celestial Deck."

"Celestial Deck?" Yusei questioned.

"-still in the room", Luna spoke up.

Yusei put back the invitation in the envelope. "Thanks for trying to help me and everything, but this Fortune Cup thing isn't ringing any bells." He threw the envelope back to Leo's shrine skillfully. "I should get out of here." When he was about to reach the elevator, I grabbed his arm, holding him back.

"I wouldn't do that", I shook my head. "When I came back, I saw Sector Security outside. One of the officers told the guard there's a criminal in here, but they didn't get in no matter how many times they tried." The twins gasped at the news. "If Sector Security is looking for you, then it's best you remain here. You're twice as vulnerable with your amnesia _and_ you need to recover from the fall you took."

"She's right!" Leo said before getting an idea. "I got it!" He rushed to a closet.

"Just let him go, Leo!" Luna sighed.

Leo rushed back to Yusei with his oversized Duel Disk on his arm. "Mister, I've got one more idea. I challenge you to a Duel, Mister Amnesia Man!"

"How would a Duel help him, Leo?" Luna asked.

Leo turned to his sister. "This could help him! I saw it on TV this one time. Jack Atlas was giving an interview and he said the way a Duelist Duels, it reveals who he really is." He turned back to Yusei. "So if you Duel, you might remember who you are. Right, Estelle?"

I simply nodded with a small smile. "It might work."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yusei had agreed to have a Duel against Leo, and he regained his memories just like in the anime and wanted to leave for our safety, but Luna and I managed to convince him to stay for the night.

The twins were sleeping past midnight when I walked down to the living room to see if Yusei was still there. And, yes, there he was, working on the twins' Duel Disks. I was dressed in a red nightgown and wore white slippers, but was also wearing a blue/white bath robe that was tied around my waist.

"You know you don't have to do that", I told him quietly.

Yusei must have noticed me because he didn't act surprised when I spoke. "I know, but I thought I'd give them a little something as thank you", he said.

I nodded as I rested my hands against the couch, staring at Yusei's raven hair with golden streaks. I wanted to reach out my hand and caress the hair, but I held myself back. I sighed deeply when I thought about my sad past with no boyfriend and no friends at all.

I collected myself before I said a question. "Can you tell me your name? If you don't want me to tell the twins, I won't."

"It's better if you don't know", Yusei shook his head.

"Because your name could get me into trouble?" I said which Yusei nodded at. "But I can't keep calling you Mister Crab Man unless you tell me your name." I couldn't help but blush at the nickname I had given him.

Yusei placed down Luna's improved Duel Disk next to Leo's before he looked at me. "Yusei."

"No last name?" I tilted my head before quickly adding. "You don't have to tell me your surname if you wish to be careful."

"I do have a surname, but as you said, I need to lay a low profile", Yusei said.

"Understandable", I nodded before walking to the kitchen. "If you're leaving, you should at least bring some leftovers."

"You don't have to-", Yusei started, but only to get interrupted by me.

"I want to help you, Yusei", I retorted calmly as I returned with a Styrofoam box with the leftovers of today's lunch. "And you can never be too careful if you're wandering alone in New Domino City."

Now when I walked back to him, I noticed we were almost at the same height. I was around 180 centimeter and Yusei was a few centimeters taller than me.

"You've got a point", Yusei said as he took the Styrofoam box and put it in a compartment under the seat of his Duel Runner. "I should go now." I nodded as I followed him to the elevator.

Yusei rolled his Duel Runner into the elevator before he turned to me. "I'll repay you for the hospitality next time we see each other."

I shook my head. "I don't need money, but a Duel with you would be more than enough as payment."

Yusei smirked slightly. "Okay then."

I smiled gently. "May the stars watch over you, Yusei." That was the last thing I said before the elevator doors closed in front of me.


	3. Bloom of the Black Rose

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 3: Bloom of the Black Rose**

I was having a beautiful dream about Yusei when I got awakened by Leo's scream. I sat up in the bed and rubbed my tired eyes before getting out and put on my glasses and the bathrobe. I met Luna in the hallway as we approached the living room where Leo looked around for Yusei.

"He's gone! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, NOOO!"

"Toothfairy forgot you again?" Luna commented, rubbing her eyes.

"Luna! Estelle!" Leo rushed over to us. "He took his Runner and left!"

"Well, did he leave a note or something?" Luna asked.

I walked to the kitchen to start making breakfast, slightly ignoring the scene since I knew what was happening.

"No!" Leo said as he rushed around in the living room. "This is all your fault, Luna! You should have been nicer like Estelle! He was gonna teach me to be the best Duelist ever!"

"Will you calm down?" Luna sighed as she had noticed their improved Duel Disks on the coffee table. "Look at these."

I watched from the kitchen how the twins, especially Leo, were excited and happy by Yusei's small gift.

"It fits now!" Leo exclaimed happily after he had strapped his Duel Disk on his arm. "How does it look, Luna?"

"Pretty good", Luna didn't focus on Leo. "Now I just wish we knew who he was so we can thank him."

"Well, it's his own fault for not telling us his name", Leo frowned. "I mean, he had amnesia and we helped him. If he wanted to thank us, he should've stayed."

"I guess so, but why no goodbye?" Luna mumbled.

"Don't you guys get it?" I spoke up, making them turn to me as I kept making breakfast. "He thanked us and said goodbye by fixing your Duel Disks. I caught him last night customizing them. He's quite a handy man."

"Do you know why he left, Estelle?" Luna asked.

"He's a selfless man who doesn't want other people being involved with him since he's a "criminal", but he has a good heart", I replied.

"So that's why he left? Because of his marker and the Sector Security lurking outside yesterday?" Leo asked.

"Partly", I answered.

"But why couldn't he tell us goodbye personally?" Luna asked. "Maybe he wanders the city streets and helps out struggling Duelists. Kind of like a knight in shining armor, but with a Deck."

"A knight?" Leo arched an eyebrow. "He sounds more like a superhero and his name is something secret."

Just then we heard the home phone ring. Leo rushed over to the phone and answered the call. And the phone wasn't like any other phones from my dimension, no. It was a huge screen where the callers could see and talk to each other at the same time, like the Skype in my world.

"_What's up, my main man?_" Dexter greeted.

"Dexter, get this! Some guy-", Leo began, only to get interrupted by the brown-haired boy.

"_Boss! There's no time for that! I got us a lead!_"

"A lead?"

"_Duh! The Black Rose?!_"

"Come on, Dex! The Black Rose is just some urban legend!"

"You miss me, Dexter?" Luna teased in the background.

I finished making breakfast and set up the table before walking over to join the conversation when Leo held up his Duel Disk with a determined aura.

"Then let's go!"

"_Leo! How come your Duel Disk isn't falling off anymore?_" Dexter asked.

"Right! So, this superhero stopped by and-", Leo began.

"He's not a superhero, Dexter. He's a knight!" Luna butted in.

"_What are you two talking about? Who fixed up your Duel Disk?_"

"Okay! This guy's Duel Runner is red and-", Leo started to describe Yusei when Luna shoved him back.

"Leo!" Luna exclaimed before whispering. "Until we know more about this guy, maybe we should keep this between us."

"Okay, good point", Leo agreed.

"_Hey! What's going on?!_" Dexter shouted.

I turned to the phone and put on a gentle smile. "Nothing, Dexter, but we were just about to eat breakfast. We'll call you back when we've finished eating."

"_Okay, but really, call me back later!_ _This is one chance in a million!_" Dexter said.

"We will. See you soon, Dexter", I ended the call.

Luna turned to Leo once again. "Listen, this is _our_ secret!"

Leo nodded before looking at his Duel Disk. "Luna, Estelle. You think Mister Amnesia Man flies or has a jet-pack?"

I arched an eyebrow. "Where do you get all these ideas from, Leo?"

"From my comic books and TV!" Leo replied happily.

I shook my head lightly as I walked over to the kitchen table. "Well, breakfast's ready, so come and dig in, children."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Just as promised, we called back Dexter who came over before he, Leo and I left with our Duel Disks. I told Luna the lunch was in the fridge, only needed to heat up before eating. I was definitely going to watch over the boys. I wouldn't let them go all alone in shady places.

We went to downtown where the Black Rose was supposed to show up. Dexter seemed to be both excited and scared at the same time, but he refused to show any signs of weakness.

I noticed there were many men with markers in these parts and they were staring at me with big eyes. I felt a bit uncomfortable, but tried to ignore the stares.

"Hey, baby!" a man shouted.

I turned to the man who had called me. He had a Duel Disk on his arm as well. "Wanna hang out with me and my friends? We'll treat you", the man snickered.

I walked away with Leo and Dexter who stood close to me.

"Hey! I don't take no as an answer!" the man shouted. "Let's Duel!"

I stopped walking which the kids noticed and also stopped. I turned to the man who wanted to challenge me.

"A Duel?" I hummed, suddenly being all confident which was very unlike me.

The man smirked, "What, baby? Too scared?"

"Estelle?" Leo wondered.

I returned the smirk at the man before holding up my left arm with the Duel Disk. "Challenge accepted. But if I win, leave me and the boys alone."

The man laughed, "We shall see, babe."

"Let's Duel!"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The whole day went by so fast I didn't realize it was already sundown. Maybe because I was constantly challenged by perverts and beat all of them. To tell the truth, I was very surprised by my hidden skills with Duel Monsters. I always lost in Duels against other players in my dimension.

I stopped for a minute to massage my forehead, feeling really exhausted by all the Duels I had. I heard loud shouting and looked up to see we were now in the center square of the Daimon Area. Leo and Dexter had walked over to a man to ask him if he had seen the Black Rose, but only to get fanned away.

I sighed as I walked over to the boys. "Leo, Dexter. Don't walk off on your own in these parts. You could get kidnapped by evil criminals."

"Sorry, Estelle, but you were nearby anyway", Leo retorted before turning to Dexter. "Maybe the Black Rose doesn't exist, Dex."

"Well, I know the blogs don't lie", Dexter said. "She'll be here! I just know it!"

"You're sure? I mean, does anybody know who she really is?" Leo arched an eyebrow.

"Well, she better shows up, 'cause my Deck is ready for her", Dexter glanced down at his Duel Disk.

"Well, Dex, we've looked for the Black Rose all day and Estelle is the only one who's got to Duel", Leo said. "Maybe we should go home."

"Go home?! The Black Rose is the greatest Duelist ever!" Dexter exclaimed excitedly. "They say her cards make real Monsters! Her Spells are like real spells! And her Traps are like-"

"Real traps?" I interrupted, resting my right hand on my hip.

Dexter snuffled, "If you don't wanna help me, then fine, but I'm staying right here... Got that?"

"Don't cry, Dexter. I'll stay", Leo teased.

"I don't cry!" Dexter retorted.

I chuckled at the boys when I heard someone call my and Leo's names.

"Leo? Estelle?"

I looked up and felt myself almost choke on my own saliva when I spotted Yusei. I had almost forgotten he and his new friends would be here.

Leo got excited to see Yusei again as he rushed to him. "Dex, look! It's the superhero who fixed mine and my sister's Duel Disks!"

I quickly followed Leo, leaving Dexter behind before he collected himself and followed us.

"So, we meet again", I smiled at Yusei.

"Yeah, I didn't expect to see you here", Yusei nodded.

"So what's up?" Leo smiled at the raven-haired man.

"What are you doing here, Leo? This is a dangerous place for little kids", Yusei pointed out as his friends walked over to us. "Where's your sister?"

"She didn't want to come, and I've got Estelle to protect me!" Leo pointed his thumb at me.

Dexter gasped when he had reached us. "Leo, Estelle... I don't think this guy's a superhero. Check his face", he whispered.

"That's his secret identity", Leo told his friend.

"What are you doing here?" the old man with a gold tooth, Yanagi, asked with a smile. "And who's this beauty?"

"We've been looking around for the Black Rose", Leo explained.

Yusei turned to his group. "The woman and the green-haired boy helped me gain my memory back. They're cool."

Whoa! Did Yusei just call me cool? No one ever described me with that word before.

"Yes! I'm cool!" Leo smiled before turning to the nervous Dexter. "And this guy's my best friend Dexter."

"Um... Hello...", Dexter greeted nervously.

"That guy's the best. He's got this combo that's like "Whoa!". You should definitely Duel him!" Leo encouraged his friend.

Dexter looked nervously at Yusei who had an intense face which scared the brunet. "Maybe another time..." He glanced down to see Yusei was holding an envelope with the symbol of the Fortune Cup. "Look at that!"

I smiled when I spotted the letter. Things were going just as in the anime so far.

"That's an invitation to Duel in the Fortune Cup", Leo stated when he saw the letter. "You'll be there too?"

"Yep", Yusei nodded.

"I get to Duel you~! I get to Duel you~!" Leo chanted before he pointed at Yusei with a determined expression. "But this time, you're going down!" He turned to Dexter. "Maybe if I win, he'll make me teach his sidekick like in all of my comic books. Cool, huh?"

"Yeah!" Dexter nodded.

I chuckled at the boys. "Leo, didn't we go through this in the morning?" I turned to Yusei. "When did you get the invitation?"

"Right after I left the Tops", Yusei replied. "By the way, I still need to repay you for the hospitality and food."

I shook my head. "I told you before, I only need a good Duel as repayment, but I guess we'll have our Duel at the Fortune Cup."

Yusei smirked lightly before he suddenly grimaced and fell down on his knees, holding his right arm while hissing in pain.

"Yusei?" I called worriedly and knelt down to hold his shoulders.

"What's wrong?" Yanagi asked.

"It hurts just like before...", Yusei hissed through his teeth.

"Before?" Tanner questioned.

"When it first appeared... The Crimson Dragon...", Yusei replied.

I started to feel tugging in my heart, but tried to ignore it. People around us began screaming in fear, shouting something about the Black Rose was coming. I looked over my shoulder when I felt a hurricane of wind blow around us.

"B-Black Rose?" Yanagi stuttered.

"She's just a myth", Blister said.

"Oh, yeah?!" Tanner retorted.

"There's a reasonable explanation here!" Blister countered.

Thorn roots and vines cracked from the concrete and lodged into buildings and knocked down people before they could run away in terror.

One root came towards us before it cracked the ground, separating our group. Just before root could reach us, Yusei grabbed me and jumped away in time. We landed safely while the others, including the children, crashed on the ground.

Yusei and I were on our knees once again when we spotted the shadow of a dragon in the dust, its eyes and mouth glowing red.

"Whose dragon is that?" Yusei mumbled before groaning in pain.

I watched him removing his glove to pull up the sleeve of his jacket to reveal the Tail Mark of the Dragon was glowing red. "My Mark!" Yusei exclaimed.

Blister, Yanagi and Tanner gathered around us and gasped when they spotted Yusei's Mark.

"Oh my", Yanagi gasped.

"That's no tattoo", Tanner stated.

"You're right, Tanner. It is the Mark of the Dragon!" Yanagi nodded.

Now I felt something burn strongly on my right arm. I clutched it before pulling up the sleeve of my shirt to reveal a red glowing pentagram, the same one I had seen a few nights ago!

"No way!" I gasped.

"She has a glowing Mark too!" Blister exclaimed.

"In the shape of a pentagram", Tanner added.

"I've never heard anything about a Mark of the Dragon that's supposed to be shaped as a star!" Yanagi exclaimed.

Just then there was a strong light coming from the dragon so we had to shield our eyes until the light died down. I heard the dragon roar when I felt another tugging in my heart.

"_**Help...**_"

My eyes widened when I heard a voice inside my head.

"_**Help my mistress...**_"

I stood up, holding my tattooed arm and rushed towards the dragon that was crying for help. I heard Yusei call my name, but I ignored him as I rushed into the dust. I stopped several meters from the black dragon that had wings and body made of magenta rose petals while it was standing behind a woman with a mask, wearing a black cloak and a red dress. She had dark burgundy hair spilling out from underneath the hood. The woman had a red Duel Disk and cards in her hand.

"Akiza...", I whispered.

I flinched when Yusei rushed past me and stood protectively in front of me. I blushed for a second before I noticed Leo stood next to me as he gasped at the Black Rose AKA Akiza.

"Black Rose?" Yusei asked.

"I think, but be care-", Leo was about to take a step forward when I put my hand on his shoulder, holding him back.

The others rushed over to us and gasped when they spotted the Black Rose.

"Okay, so she's not made-up", Blister said. "Now what, grandpa?"

"I don't know...", Yanagi answered nervously.

I could feel Akiza staring at each one of us as the tugging in my heart got even worse. I clutched my clothes where my heart was with my right arm, revealing my Mark to Akiza.

"Your arms! You two also have a Mark!" Black Rose shouted.

Yusei and I shared at look before we looked at our Marks that were still glowing. I started to pant heavily when the tugging was slowly becoming unbearable. I hoped the others didn't notice my condition.

"We do", Yusei replied to Akiza before taking a few steps forward.

"Stay away from me!" Black Rose screamed before throwing a card on her Duel Disk.

A beacon of light appeared where Akiza was standing, the air whipping around the area madly. It was too much for the others to handle as they all got knocked over. But for me... I was the only one standing. The wind felt like a gentle breeze to me and I wasn't even affected by the blinding light.

When the wind and light finally died down, there were only sparks of electricity left in Akiza's place. There were no signs of the girl or the dragon.

"She's gone", Tanner pointed out.

"Amazing!" Yanagi exclaimed. "That's what I call an exist through the ages. How do you think her encore looks like?"

"We found her...", Dexter shivered as he and Leo held each other, looking really scared. "The Black Rose is real..."

"That was so awesome...", Leo stuttered.

I looked around to see some people help the injured ones as they threw profanities at the Black Rose. I felt deep inside very angry at those people and felt sorry for Akiza at the same time.

"The Black Rose said you two _also_ have a Mark", Blister said. "What did she mean by that?"

I glanced at Yusei's arm to see his Mark was no longer there. The others gasped when they saw his Mark was gone.

"Where'd it go?" Leo asked.

"Vanished! Like magic!" Yanagi exclaimed.

I looked down at my arm to see my Mark was still there, but no longer glowing.

"The gal's Mark is still there", Tanner pointed out.

Everyone turned their attention at me as Yanagi grabbed my arm to take a closer look at the pentagram Mark.

"How did you get this Mark in the first place?" the old man muttered.

"I believe the Black Rose has a Mark on her own", I stated, making the others grow silent. "And thanks to that Mark, she has the ability to make her cards alive, but..." I placed a hand on my Mark. "She's letting her power control her, not the other way around... She's suffering..." No one said a word as I turned to Leo and Dexter, pulling down the sleeve to hide my Mark. "Come on, children. Let's go home now."

"Okay...", Dexter agreed.

"Yeah, I think we've got too much excitement for today...", Leo nodded before turning to Yusei. "We'll see you at the Fortune Cup tomorrow, right?"

Yusei nodded after he had been quiet for a few seconds. "Make sure to rest properly, Leo, Estelle."

"We will", I nodded. "See you tomorrow, guys."


	4. Fortune Cup – Part 1

**Okay, people, listen up! I won't write the Duels, but I will try writing Estelle's Duels when it's her turn; full, small parts or only the end. It depends. Want to see her Deck? Link on profile just underneath the link to Estelle's appearance.**

**I gave Leo and Luna a surname. I chose it randomly and one I thought it would suit them.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 4: Fortune Cup – Part 1**

I took a quick shower before the twins and I went to the Kaiba Dome with a cab. We met up with Yusei, Yanagi, Tanner and Dexter on the backstage to mingle before it was time for us contestants to attend the opening ceremony.

Leo had rushed to the bathroom to put on makeup and to tell you the truth... He looked ridiculous when he returned with the makeup on.

"Well? What do you think? How do I look, guys?" Leo asked, his usual ponytail being replaced with two pigtails.

"Leo, you're just as good as Luna as Luna is", Yanagi grinned.

"Yahoo!" Leo exclaimed happily, jumping up and down.

Luna kicked him to calm him down. "Don't embarrass me!"

"Come on, Luna. Just chill out. I'm about to make you a Dueling legend", Leo assured his sister before turning to me and Yusei to speak in a girly voice. "What do you say, Mister Amnesia Man, Estelle? Ready?"

"No", I shook my head. "You're _not_ going anywhere looking like that." I knelt down to Leo's level and started wiping off the makeup with a tissue.

"Why not?" Leo whined while closing his eyes.

"Because of two things", I answered. "One; you look more like a clown than a girl with the makeup. Two; if the admins are aware of your family, they might be suspicious why an 11 years old girl should wear makeup."

"I'm actually agreeing with Estelle", Luna said. "I wouldn't wear any makeup now, but maybe when I get older."

"Okay, okay, I got it!" Leo sneezed after I finished wiping the makeup off his face.

I chuckled at the boy before standing up and threw the napkin in a nearby trash can. "Now I think we're ready."

"Sweet!" Leo grinned before turning to Yusei. "By the way, what's your name, Mister Amnesia Man?"

"You'll find out soon enough", Yusei told him.

"Awesome! I bet it's really cool", Leo smiled.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I was standing with Leo on my left side and Yusei on my right side as we were being elevated to the stage. I was starting to feel very nervous. Thousands of people were going to watch me and I didn't exactly have the confidence to be the main star.

Leo looked around excitedly when we were at the surface. "Wow! Look at all the people!"

The audience cheered loudly for us eight contestants. I was a bit surprised that we were only eight just like in the show. Did it mean I was replacing someone?

I glanced carefully at Jack who glared at Yusei. When I looked at the raven-haired boy, I noticed he was also glaring back at the blonde man. You could feel the tension between them.

The MC started introducing us contestants who stood in front of us. "Now, let's hear it for the always mysterious Shira, the great Greiger, the Professor, Miss Akiza Izinski, Sir Randsborg, the lovely Miss Luna Crier, Miss Estelle Malmström and Yusei Fudo."

Okay, so I was replacing Commander Koda. That meant I would go against Akiza if I made it through the first round… Well, that's what I thought.

"So your name's Yusei?" Leo asked Yusei.

"Yep", he replied. "Now, don't wear it out."

"That's not much of a super hero name, is it?"

"Super what?"

"Never mind."

The audience began shouting profanities at Yusei who ignored them completely. But Greiger walked forward and took the mic from the MC's hand.

"I have to say something", Greiger announced before the audience grew quiet. "My name is Greiger. I know things are different in this city, but where I come from you judge a guy on his spirit." He turned around to point at Yusei. "This kid right here might have been granted by your people as a no-good, but when I look at him all I see is a Duelist." He turned back to the audience. "And being a Duelist myself, that means I have to respect him until he gives me a reason not to. Because a Duelist doesn't judge another Duelist based on where he comes from or who his family is or how much money he has. That isn't what really matters."

Director Goodwin stood up from his seat and started clapping which resulted that everyone in the dome started to clap for Greiger's speech.

Greiger bowed to Goodwin before he walked back to his place and returned the mic. "Here's your mic."

The MC accepted it, a bit surprised. "Thank you..."

"Thank you for those well-chosen and heart-felt words", Goodwin told Greiger, making me roll my eyes since I knew he didn't really mean it. "In our world, social statues and personal wealth draw a line between ourselves and our fellow man. But I had a vision of a Duel tournament that would, if only for a fretfully while, remove that line. A tournament separate for the competition of life where the haves and the haves not could meet each other on a level playing field and prove themselves to each other and to the world. Fellow Duelists, welcome to the Fortune Cup!"

The audience cheered loudly as they were excited to see the upcoming Duels.

"And now, let's turn to the bracket shuffler", the MC announced. "And find out who's Dueling who in the first match."

The Duels turned out like this; Luna (Leo) VS Greiger, the Professor VS Estelle (Me), Yusei VS Shira and Sir Randsborg VS Akiza.

But that meant I would go against Greiger and not Akiza if I made it through the first round against the Professor...

"Look! I'm Dueling Greiger in the very first Duel!" Leo shouted excitedly.

"And I'll go in the second Duel? I'm usually the last one...", I mumbled.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

We Duelists were led to the lounge where we could wait for our respective Duels. Almost every one of us sat in a group, but Akiza sat alone far away with a drink. I couldn't help but sneak a glance at her sometimes. She reminded me so much about how lonely I used to be.

Yusei, Leo and I sat on the couches close to the screen that showed up the dome and the audience ready for excitement.

Leo inserted his Deck in his Duel Disk. "This Duel Disk you fixed up for me rocks!"

"Glad you like it", Yusei smiled.

Leo smiled, "I can't believe I'm actually about to do this. You don't have like any last minute pointers for me, do you?"

"Yup", Yusei nodded, "Remember to adapt to your opponent."

"And remember you're never alone out there at the stage", I added. "Believe in your Deck and your cards will response when you're in a critical situation."

"Okay", Leo nodded.

"Miss Luna?" a staff member spoke up from the doorway. "It's time to go."

"Thank you!" Leo shouted in a girly voice before turning to me and Yusei. "I can do it!" With that said, he ran off for the Duel.

I chuckled, "He's excited as always. I just hope he won't be disappointed if he loses."

Yusei turned to me. "What makes you say that?"

I sighed, "Leo has a tendency to get upset every time he loses a Duel. Last time I Dueled him and won, he got very angry and refused to talk to me until the evening. I can't blame him, though. He's still a child."

Yusei nodded, "I used to get upset when I lost, but I realized I can learn from my mistakes and rethink my strategies."

I turned to Yusei with a small smile. "That's exactly how I see things too when I lose."

We shared another smile before we turned our attention on the first Duel with Leo and Greiger.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Leo had just finished his first turn when I felt a migraine. I clutched my head and moaned slightly, feeling a little bit dizzy too.

"Estelle? What's wrong?" Yusei asked worriedly.

"Just a migraine", I replied with a small smile. "Nothing serious."

Yusei eyed me for a minute before he nodded and turned back to the screen.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Greiger had summoned all three reactor Monsters to the field and Leo was getting scared, tears collecting in his eyes.

"Don't get scared, Leo...", Yusei mumbled.

I let out a sigh of relief when I felt the migraine lighten up, but then I felt this stab-feeling in my brain making me gasp in pain.

Yusei turned once again his attention on me. "Estelle?" he asked worriedly.

"It's getting worse...", I groaned as I clutched my head.

"Do you need to visit the infirmary?" Yusei asked.

I shook my head gently. "No... I just need to lay down..."

I was about to stand up and lay down on the couch across us when Yusei grabbed my arm and made me lay down on the couch, my head resting on his lap.

"Y-Yusei...?" I stuttered with a blush.

"You should rest before your Duel, Estelle", Yusei told me with a comfortable smile. "I'll wake you up when Leo's Duel's over."

I nodded shyly. "Okay..."

With that said, I closed my eyes and let myself wander to the land of dreams.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_I opened my eyes to find myself in an unknown place I first didn't recognize. It was a forest with emerald green trees that reflected the sunlight. Small fairies were flying around in the air, their wings leaving shiny powder behind._

*Vänta lite... Är inte det här...Duel Monstrens värld? (Wait a moment… Isn't this…the world of Duel Monsters?)*

"**So you have finally arrived, Priestess.**"

_I looked around to find the source of the voice. _"Who's there?"

_The fairies started dancing around me as two of them waved their hands for me to follow them. I walked after them as we went deeper into the forest. I looked around once again to see everything seemed fine, but there was something in the atmosphere that didn't felt right._

_The fairies led me to an open landscape with a sea of grass. In the middle of the plains was a dragon I recognized immediately._

"The Crimson Dragon..."

"**I have been waiting for you to meet me here in the world of Duel Monsters.**"

_When I listened closely, the Crimson Dragon had a deep baritone voice that reminded me of Peter Cullen's voice whenever he did Optimus Prime's voice in the Bay films. But it wasn't the same voice._

"W-Waiting for me? I don't understand..."

"**I am the one who brought you to this dimension because you have a purpose that you **_**must**_** fulfill.**"

"A purpose?"

_I suddenly felt a strong wind ruffle my hair and clothes, making me hold the hair so it wouldn't get on my face._

"**We do not have much time left... I will explain everything later when we will not get disturbed, Priestess.**"

"Priestess? What do you mean by that?"

"**You must return... It is soon time for your Duel.**"

_I wanted to ask the Crimson Dragon one more thing when I felt my soul float away from the world of Duel Monsters._

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I groaned lightly as I slowly opened my eyes. I saw Yusei stare at the screen with a poker face. I rested my eyes for a few seconds before I noticed my headache was gone. I didn't even feel the aftermath I usually had whenever I got headaches.

I moved a little before I sat up and looked at the screen. "Who won?"

"Greiger. He's a tough Duelist", Yusei replied.

"And Leo's reaction?"

"Well... He was shocked to say the least."

I nodded before I stood up and walked over to a locker where I had my bag and Duel Disk. Before I put on the Duel Disk, I tied up my hair into a high ponytail with a black elastic ribbon.

When I was ready, Yusei followed me to the hallway to meet up with Leo. We waited by a corner when the young man turned to me. "How's your headache?" Yusei asked.

"It's better, thanks", I replied. "I just hope it won't return during the Duel."

"Just take it easy and don't get nervous", Yusei said.

"Easy for you to say", I retorted. "I'm not used to be the main attraction."

I was getting more nervous by the time that ticked by. I felt my hands getting sweaty so I had to wipe them on my jeans.

"Focus on the Duel and it'll go fine", Yusei told me.

I looked up at him to see a small smile on his lips. I returned the smile shyly. "I'll try."

Soon we heard the three voices of Leo, Luna and Dexter as they approached us. Leo was still sulking about the loss. He had changed back to his own clothes and had tied up his hair into a ponytail.

"Try to cheer up, Leo", Luna told him. "It's not like everyone saw you lose."

"Yeah, she's right", Dexter agreed. "Like 15,000,000,000 tops."

If this was an anime for real, then I would have sweat dropped at that comment.

"Thanks", Leo replied sarcastically.

"It's not a loss if you'd learned something", Yusei spoke up. "Now you know more than you did before, right, Leo?"

The three children finally noticed us leaning against the wall.

"Yeah, more about losing. I just can't wait to use that in my next match", Leo snorted.

"No, Leo, he didn't mean it like that", I shook my head. "He means you learned more about how to adapt to your opponent. While you lost, you gained more experience for your future Duels. So it's not always negatively to lose a game."

"Huh? Really?" Leo tilted his head confusedly.

I nodded, "Let's take myself for an example. When I was young and went to elementary school, I was bullied day in and day out." The others looked at me in surprise. "Of course, I didn't take it well and struggled every day at school because of the other students, and I felt myself weak. But now, when I've grown up, I realized I learned something from the bad situation."

"What was it?" Luna asked curiously.

I smiled, "I learned how to ignore the bullies in the future AKA I received experience that maybe the bullies never got and that will make them weaker if _they_ get bullied one day. So my motto is; "Bad experience in the past will be good experience in the future."."

"Sounds logical to me", Dexter smiled.

"_Miss Estelle Malmström_", the loudspeakers sparked to life in the hallway. "_We ask you to head to the stage now._"

"That's my cue", I sighed.

"I know you can win, Estelle!" Leo encouraged me. "You defeated all those guys yesterday at Daimon Area without breaking a sweat. You can do it!"

"Leo's right!" Luna nodded.

I felt calmer now when the twins encouraged and believed in me. I nodded before walking off, but not without waving to them. "Wish me luck, guys."

"You can win, Estelle!" Dexter called as I rushed to the stage.

I suddenly felt lighter inside my heart. All the nervousness disappeared just like that. Maybe because I felt warmth coming from my Deck. My Duel Monsters would be there by my side, and maybe the Crimson Dragon was also watching over me.


	5. Fortune Cup – Part 2

**It's time for Estelle's Duel. It will be showed in small parts.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 5: Fortune Cup – Part 2**

I stood on a platform under the stage, waiting to be elevated up to meet my opponent; the Professor. I reminded myself over and over again not to fall into his traps and words as he did to Luna in the anime.

I felt the platform under my feet elevate up to the stage. I closed my eyes to meditate for a few seconds as the MC presented me.

"_Now, entering the arena, his opponent with a record of..._", the MC turned quiet for two seconds. "_Well, it appears that we have no record for her, but we can say she's a..._" A functionary must have stepped up to the MC to whisper something. "_Are you saying that we have no information for her? Um... Well, New Domino City, let's hear it for Miss Estelle Malmström!_"

The audience was cheering for me while I opened my eyes and saw the Professor smile gently at me. But I could sense his aura was stone cold.

"_Let's start our second Duel! Duelists, activate your Duel Disks!_" the MC said.

Both I and the Professor held up our left arms and activated our Duel Disks.

"Let's Duel!"

**Estelle: 4000**

**The Professor: 4000**

We drew five cards each from our shuffled Decks.

"If you don't mind, ladies first", I said. "I draw!"

I took a closer look at my hand. I had Armored Starfish, Trap Hole, Luster Dragon, Star Changer, Vice Dragon and Seven Tools of the Bandit. I had to go for defense until I could get better cards.

"I summon Armored Starfish in defense mode!" I played the card on the Duel Disk.

Armored Starfish appeared on the stage and growled before it curled into a ball.

**Armored Starfish, Level 4: DEF 1400**

"I place two cards face-down and end my turn", I put both my Traps cards face-down.

"_Estelle goes for a strong defense. Can the Professor break through the wall?_" the MC questioned.

"An excellent move, my dear", the Professor smirked. "My turn."

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Goodwin and Jack were in the Ivory Tower and sat together on a couch, watching the Duel when the blonde man turned to Goodwin.

"You mentioned before you suspect this woman is connected to the Signers", Jack stated. "She looks like any other plain women I've seen back in the Satellite."

"Don't let her appearance deceive you, Mr. Atlas", Lazar stepped up to the couch, standing next to Goodwin. "We've got proof that shows she might be a Signer and even...an extraterrestrial one too." Jack arched an eyebrow confusedly at the purple-haired man.

Goodwin made a small move with his hand to activate a few holographic screens in front of him. "We received interesting information from Mr. and Mrs. Crier two weeks ago. They hired a new babysitter for their children Leonardo and Luna Crier."

"Luna Crier? Same little girl who Dueled in the first match and lost?" Jack asked.

Goodwin nodded, "And when their babysitter told the married couple some personal information, they looked up her name to see if she had any track record...to find nothing."

Lazar stepped into the conversation. "When they turned to us to help them look for information about Estelle Malmström..." He let a holographic screen show up in front of him with an image of said woman. "...We also didn't find anything. No birthplace, no identification, nothing at all."

"So you're saying she's not even supposed to exist?" Jack asked.

"We suspect she's not from our world", Lazar answered.

"Now you're saying she's an alien?" Jack said before snorting. "Yeah, right! She looks like a human to me! Besides..." He turned his attention back to the Duel. "How come she seems so confident and doesn't struggle if she has never played Duel Monsters before?"

"We don't know", Goodwin shook his head. "But let's concentrate on Estelle's Duel and we might find some more clues."

Jack growled and crossed his arms, slightly glaring at the Duel.

"My, it appears the Professor's giving Estelle a tough time", Lazar chuckled.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

The Duel started to get intense. And now I had bad luck countering me too. The Professor had managed to Tribute summon Ido the Supreme Magical Force and had just used the fiend Monster to destroy my Luster Dragon.

**Estelle: 900 – 600**

**The Professor: 1200**

"_Whoa! It appears Estelle has been pushed to a corner with only 600 Life Points left. Can she make a comeback, or is it too late?_" the MC questioned.

The Professor had also tried to manipulate me in the same way as he did with Luna in the anime, but I was strong enough to not fall into the trap.

"My dear, aren't you feeling lost for being in a tight situation?" the Professor asked me.

I shook my head and glared at him. "No, because I believe I can defeat you!"

The Professor smirked, "We'll see about that. I place one card face-down and end my turn."

The display looked like this; on the Professor's side were Ido the Supreme Magical Force and his new face-down. On my side were no Monsters, but one face-down which was Dust Tornado.

The cards I had in my hand now were Vice Dragon, Blustering Winds and Star Changer.

I felt myself getting more nervous as I reached my hand to the Deck to draw my next card. If I didn't get a useful card now, it would be the end.

"I draw...", I announced as I drew the card.

When I turned the card around to see which it was, I felt the nervousness disappear. I've got one of the cards I needed!

"Before I do anything, I activate my face-down Dust Tornado!" I said, turning up my Trap card. "It will destroy your face-down!"

The Trap card formed a tornado that headed to the Professor's face-down and destroyed it while revealing it was Negate Attack.

"Since you are controlling a Monster and I have none on my side of the field, I can Special summon Vice Dragon!" I played said card in attack mode as Vice Dragon appeared on the field. "Unfortunately, his attack and defense points are being halved because he was Special summoned."

**Vice Dragon, Level 5: ATK 2000 – ATK 1000**

"_Why is Estelle sending out a monster with that low attack points? Is she planning something huge?_" the MC sounded.

"Now I Normal summon the Tuner Monster Supay!" I played said card in attack mode as Supay appeared next to Vice Dragon.

**Supay, Level 1: ATK 300**

"A Tuner Monster?" the Professor mumbled. "Are you planning on-"

"Synchro summoning? Yes", I smirked. "I tune in Supay with Vice Dragon." Supay started glowing as a gentle blue light enveloped himself and then Vice Dragon before they shot up to the sky.

"Come forth, the guardian of the moon, the queen of the sky... Moon Dragon Quilla!"

A stone pattern in the shape of the moon with a face appeared as four blue/purple necks grew out with four dragon heads. The moon pattern began glowing soft blue as the four dragon heads roared simultaneously.

**Moon Dragon Quilla, Level 6: ATK 2500**

"_Ladies and gentlemen, the first Synchro Monster has finally appeared in the tournament! A mighty dragon that shines like the moon!_" the MC shouted excitedly.

The Professor smirked, "It is a wonderful creature, but even if it's powerful enough to destroy Ido the Supreme Magical Force I will still be standing."

"That's true", I nodded. "But not when I activate the Spell card Blustering Winds!" I played said Spell card and a strong wind surrounded Moon Dragon Quilla. "Blustering Winds gives my dragon a little boost with 1000 attack and defense points until my next Standby Phase."

**Moon Dragon Quilla, Level 6: ATK 2500 – 3500**

The Professor's eyes widened in realization. "Wait, that's powerful enough to-"

"To destroy Ido and take out all your Life Points", I finished. "Moon Dragon Quilla, take down Ido the Supreme Magical Force with Moonlight Blaster!"

The moon pattern started glowing as the four heads of Moon Dragon Quilla opened their mouths to collect energy for the attack. They unleashed Moonlight Blaster together and took out Ido the Supreme Magical Force as some of the light hit the Professor.

**Estelle: 600**

**The Professor: 1200 – 0**

"_Ladies and gentlemen, we have our second Duelist in the semifinals! Estelle Malmström!_" the MC shouted.

The audience cheered loudly as Moon Dragon Quilla went down in front of me and bent one head down to me. I smiled at my dragon and hugged her head.

"Thank you for your help, Quilla", I said before planting a kiss on her nose.

Moon Dragon Quilla growled by the affections before dissipating when my Duel Disk deactivated.

I waved for a moment to the audience before I walked past the Professor without throwing a glance at him. I made it to the corridors and removed the black elastic ribbon, making my hair flow freely now. I let out a huge sigh of relief that I survived the action out there, and I actually won!

"Estelle!"

I looked up and smiled when I saw Leo, Luna and Dexter run to me with happy smiles. Seeing them smile made me smile as well.

"You did it! You made it to the semifinals!" Leo jumped excitedly.

"For a moment, I thought you were going to lose, but you made a strong comeback", Dexter said.

"But I don't know if you can make it to the final with Greiger as your next opponent", Luna said a bit worriedly. "He's really powerful..."

I knelt down to Luna's level before patting her head. "Let's worry about me Dueling Greiger when I _do_ Duel him. Don't worry too much. It's not good for your health."

I heard new footsteps and looked up to see Yusei stand a few meters away from us. I smiled as I got up on my feet again. "What did you think of the Duel?" I asked him.

"I have to say I'm impressed about your comeback at the end", Yusei said. "But you still need to act with a better caution at the beginning of the Duel or else you could lose your Life Points before your next turn."

I nodded, "Yeah, I noticed that too when my Life Points began dropping. So I made a mistake, but I am aware of it and I learned more of this Duel."

"Excuse me!"

We looked up to see Akiza walk past us. She cast a glare at Yusei as she walked past him. The children and I moved out of her way. I looked at Akiza before I made a decision.

"Akiza", I spoke up.

Said girl stopped walking and looked over her shoulder with confusion written on her face.

I smiled gently at her. "Good luck out there. Make sure to show the knight what true girl-power is."

Akiza looked surprised by my encouragement, but then she turned into her lone wolf side and gave me a glare before walking away.

"What's her problem?" Leo snorted. "She could have said something back since you encouraged her, Estelle."

"It's okay", I told the boy. "I know how those types of people are like because I used to be a lone wolf."

"You used to be a lone wolf?" Luna asked.

I nodded, "Yes... And with every right too."

"You kids should go back to Tanner and Yanagi", Yusei said. "The next Duel is about to begin."

"Okay!" the trio of children said before walking away.

"I'll be back at the lounge in a few minutes", I told Yusei.

"Okay", he nodded before walking away.

I walked to the bathroom to refresh myself and washed my face, feeling more relieved and relaxed. I polished my glasses before putting them back on my face and left the bathroom.

I made it back to the lounge room just in time because the big screen was showing the arena and the people were shouting loudly. Yusei sat on the couch so I joined him after I had put away my Duel Disk in the locker.

Yusei didn't say anything, but I could tell he knew I sat next to him as we watched Sir Randsborg and Akiza being introduced to the audience. I couldn't hold myself back when Sir Randsborg had made his small talk. "I wonder if the theaters are missing a certain knight for their show right now", I commented.

Yusei smiled lightly at the comment.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Akiza managed to Synchro summon Black Rose Dragon just like in the anime. In the second the dragon was out on the field, Yusei held his right arm as he grunted in pain.

"Yusei?" I quickly put a hand on his shoulder as I felt a tint of pain from my own right arm and from my heart.

"I've seen that dragon before...", Yusei gritted out in pain.

"Back at the Daimon Area", I nodded.

"Then congratulations", Greiger said as he walked up to us. "Most who have come face to face with it never Duel again. It had been said that the Black Rose Dragon's wrath can cause true destruction."

I let go of Yusei's shoulder when he stopped being in pain and turned my attention at Black Rose Dragon. I was thinking about her message from last time. Did she really ask me to help Akiza or had I just imagined things?

No. I was sure of it. Black Rose Dragon did send a call of help to save her mistress from the darkness and the power that controlled Akiza.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Greiger had sat down on the couch across us to give us some company. During the Duel, I felt the same pain from my first encounter with Akiza return in my heart. I clutched my jacket where my heart was and took deep breaths to get rid of the pain. The two men turned their attention on me when my gasps had gotten a bit louder.

"You alright?" Greiger asked.

"This pain...", I gasped as I started feeling weak. "Just like at the Daimon Area..."

Yusei looked suddenly alerted. "What do you mean?"

"I... I think I can feel...Akiza's emotional pain...", I replied weakly.

Yusei put his arm across my shoulders and let me rest my head against his shoulder. I was too weak to even blush at the gesture. All I could concentrate on was to lighten up the pain in my heart.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The pain started to disappear now, but I was a bit out of breath. Yusei still had his arm around me as I relaxed against him. Sir Randsborg had just summoned Masked Knight LV7 and Akiza received her second Rose Token.

"Impressive", Greiger said. "Though those Rose Tokens of hers can't be destroyed in battle. She's got an impenetrable wall. The question is; can she hold out? Not even with a pretty garden can stop Randsborg forever. I'm afraid that it's only a matter of time before that Black Rose gets clipped."

"You're wrong, Greiger", I told him, making him look at me. "Akiza is going to win. Not with her _magical_ power but with her special cards and the right strategy."

Greiger looked skeptical at me for a moment before we turned back to the screen.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Sir Randsborg had just made his major attack at Akiza who had only 50 Life Points left.

"So, do you think it's over?" Greiger asked.

"No", I replied as I sat up straight feeling a lot better than before, but the pain was still there in my heart.

"She's just getting warmed up", Yusei added.

"And why you two think that?" Greiger asked. "You two know her? Some ancient mystical bond?"

"Something more than meets the eye", I said.

Yes, I was quoting Transformers' most known quote from the cartoons.

Akiza summoned back Black Rose Dragon to the field. I had to confess; I had my own copy of the rose dragon back in my dimension.

"I sure hate to admit it, but it looks like this Duel's over", Greiger said.

"Yeah, but it won't play out like you think", Yusei said.

"Say what?" Greiger asked.

"Just keep watching", I told him.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Akiza was standing and Sir Randsborg had fallen. But, for a moment, I thought I saw the illusion of the Black Rose Witch out at the arena. Maybe my brain was playing tricks on me.

"We knew she'll win that Duel", Yusei said.

"What do you mean?" Greiger asked. "Like you three are connected?"

"I don't know, but there's something between us", Yusei replied.

I sighed as I looked at the screen with worried eyes. The crowd was shouting swear words and called Akiza a witch. Akiza wasn't showing any emotions, but I could feel her sadness, her pain of being an outsider. I knew that feeling very well.


	6. Fortune Cup – Part 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 6: Fortune Cup – Part 3**

I followed Yusei to the garage so I could observe how he worked on his Duel Runner. Tanner had walked down to us to give Yusei some warning about his opponent. I knew Shira was going to be knocked down and replaced by Hunter Pace, but I didn't say anything or else I could break the chain of events.

"What do you know about this Shira?" Yusei asked Tanner without looking up from his Runner.

"A couple of fellas I know had a run-in with the guy a few years back in the underground Duels", Tanner answered. "According to them, he wasn't exactly a fan of playing nice. Back then he was calling himself the Shadow Reaper. Apparently, he never takes off those creepy robes of his." He took a small pause. "You planning on using Stardust Dragon?"

"I'm saving Stardust for my Duel against Jack", Yusei replied. "And when I face him, he's going to wish he never gave it back to me."

"So you won't use your ace dragon if _we_ meet in the final?" I asked after I had been quiet for a while.

Yusei looked over his shoulder and smirked lightly. "I might do an exception with you since I still owe you for the hospitality."

I smiled, "Great. And I promise I'll try Synchro summoning my strongest dragon since it's a..._complicated_ one."

Tanner laughed, "You like to be a silent one with the surprises, right?"

"Something like that", I replied. "I'm going back to the lounge."

"You don't want to join me, Gramps and the kids at the stands?" Tanner asked. "The kids are missing you."

I shook my head. "No, thanks. I'm not quite fond to be among so many loud people. I also have a bit of claustrophobia."

"I understand", Tanner said before he left.

"Are you sure you don't want to be with the others?" Yusei asked me.

I looked at him confusedly. "Hm?"

"If you start to act up like before, you won't at least be alone", Yusei explained.

I was touched by his concern, but I still refused. "Don't worry, Yusei. I'll be fine. Besides, there are staffs and other Duelists in the lounge so I won't be alone if my heart acts up again."

Yusei didn't look so convinced, but he let it go as he sat down on his Duel Runner with his helmet on and started the engine.

"Good luck out there", I told Yusei.

Yusei sent me a warm glance. "Thanks."

With that said, he left the garage for his Turbo Duel in the arena. I walked out from the garage and made it to the lounge just in time as the Duelists were introduced. Greiger was still sitting on the couch as Akiza sat far away from everyone. Her aura told me she felt lonely, but also scared of being prejudiced. Not only were the few remaining Duelists casting dirty glares at Akiza but also the staff.

I made up my mind and walked over to Akiza, but first I bought two cans of juice from a vending machine in the lounge.

Akiza didn't see me coming until I sat down across her. She looked up, surprised to see me. "What are you doing here?" she asked sharply.

I gave her a small smile. "I thought I could keep you company."

Akiza looked even more surprised by my statement, but then narrowed her eyes. "Well, I don't want your company!"

I wasn't really affected by her words, but I couldn't help but feel a bit sad for her. I put down gently one of the cans of juice in front of her. She looked confused.

"I thought maybe you were thirsty after your Duel with that tin can", I said as I opened my can and took a sip, tasting the refreshing orange juice. "He had no right to insult you with all those words like you're a cursed person because you're _not_." Akiza's eyes began to soften as she seemed to actually listen to me. "And even if you were cursed, you wouldn't be the only one here."

Akiza blinked confusedly. "What...do you mean?" She reached out her hands to the can I had offered her and held it.

I looked at her with gentle eyes. "Because... I'm also a so-called cursed person."

Akiza's eyes widened and was about to ask something when we heard the announcement that Hunter Pace had taken over Shira's place. No surprise there for me.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Akiza and I spent half the time to watch the Turbo Duel and the other half of the time to interact with each other. I could tell the girl was slowly warming up since I was probably one of the few people who willingly talked to her.

Just then, we heard the announcement that Yusei had Synchro summoned Junk Warrior. I turned to the screen and watched the Synchro Monster attack Hunter's Skull Flame, but the attack was negated by Hunter's Speed Booster Trap card.

I started to feel a bit worried about Yusei. Even if I knew he won in the anime, things were so realistic that it affected my heart more than the cartoon.

I noticed how Akiza glared at the screen, her eyes narrowing at Yusei. "Why do you dislike Yusei?"

Akiza growled under her breath. "Because of his Mark..." She touched her right arm where her own Mark was.

I glanced at Akiza's arm and could tell she hated her Mark for real. I didn't say anything and kept watching the Turbo Duel.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yusei made it to the semifinals when there was a special announcement. The losers of the first round would be given a second chance to go to the semifinals. I stood up from the chair I sat on to greet Yusei when he had entered the lounge. He put away his helmet in our shared locker when I walked up to him.

"Congratulations", I smiled. "You were great out there."

"Thanks", Yusei nodded as he closed the locker.

We turned our heads to the screen when the MC called out Luna. They found her among the stands and even used a flashlight to show her for the audience.

"Luna's Dueling?" Yusei said surprised.

I felt worried about Luna because it was now she was going to face the Professor.

"I'm guessing they finally got the right kid for the match, huh?" Greiger suddenly spoke up as he stood next to us. "You know, by the end of the Duel we had, I didn't think the boy was half-bad. I can't wait to see what his sister's got."

I grabbed my left arm in comfort as I could sense Luna's fear within me. I was starting to wonder if I had an emotional connection to every Signer.

"You look worried, Estelle", Yusei pointed out. "Are you concerned about Luna?"

I looked up at him. "Yes-"

"_May I request Estelle Malmström to join me?_" Luna's voice spoke from the speakers. "_Just to be at the stage next to me..._"

I looked up, surprised that Luna made such request. Was she so scared to Duel all alone?

The MC spoke privately to Goodwin before turning to his mic. "_Goodwin approves Luna's request as long as the contestant doesn't involve herself in Luna's Duel. Estelle Malmström, care to join us?_"

I let out a huge sigh through my nose. "I had a feeling Luna would ask this..."

"What do you mean?" Yusei asked.

"I'll explain later. I have to go so the Duel won't be delayed", I replied quickly before walking out from the lounge.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I stood several meters from Luna so I wouldn't see her cards and help her. For a moment, I heard the voice of Luna's Kuribon. Was I also hearing the voices of Duel Spirits?

Luna had the first round and summoned Sunny Pixie just like in the anime. Then the Professor summoned his Symmetry Rorschach and tried to hypnotize and manipulate Luna. I couldn't jump in and snap Luna out of it or I would be disqualified. The arena was suddenly surrounded by a holographic forest. The Field Spell Ancient Forest.

I turned my eyes to the stands and found Leo among the people. He started to look faint just like Luna. I turned quickly back to Luna and noticed her eyes were hollow. She was back in the world of Duel Spirits!

Ido the Supreme Magical Force was also summoned to the field and growled at the girl who didn't respond at all. The audience started shouting encouraging words when they all noticed Luna was in a trance.

I wanted to go to Luna and snap her out of it, but she had an important meeting with the guardian of the Duel Spirits' world. I couldn't bring her back to the reality yet.

Luna's Sunlight Unicorn made a direct attack at Ido the Supreme Magical Force and both Monsters got destroyed. Then I heard the Professor say the magical words.

"I broke through."

I had enough of it and walked over to Luna, ignoring all the shouts about why I went to the little girl. I knelt down next to her and saw her eyes were still hollow.

"Luna?" I spoke. "Luna, can you hear me?"

When I didn't get a respond, I lifted up my left hand and put it on her shoulder. In the next second, I felt my soul being pulled into another world when my body turned faint, but still kneeling.


	7. Adventure in the Spirit World

**This chapter is going to be a bit different than usual. And it begins in normal point of view.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 7: Adventure in the Spirit World**

Akiza sat by the table and watched the screen from the corner of her eyes, but then cast a glance on Yusei. She remembered Estelle's advice if she wanted to change and become friendly.

"You can start by go to Yusei and simply congratulate him for making it to the semifinals. Such small steps can make huge development."

Akiza wanted to change herself… But what about Sayer who had helped and supported her for years? She growled in frustration before standing up and walked over to the couch where the raven-haired man sat and watched the Duel.

Greiger wasn't with Yusei for the moment so he didn't notice the female Duelist walk up to him from behind. But he did look over his shoulder when Akiza cleared her throat.

"Yes?" Yusei asked.

Akiza glared at him for a second before looking away. "I... I just want to say...congratulations for making it further."

Yusei looked surprised by Akiza's sudden change of attitude, but still nodded. "Thanks, and you too."

Akiza got surprised when Yusei said that. He didn't seem to be disgusted by her being the Black Rose Witch.

Yusei turned back to the screen and saw Estelle had walked up to Luna and touched her shoulder to then have hollow eyes as the little girl.

Akiza did also notice her new friend's eyes being fogged, as if she was in a trance. "What...happened?"

"I don't know, but I think the Professor is behind of this", Yusei replied before standing up and leaving the lounge.

Akiza looked at him before turning back to the screen. She debated if she wanted to stay or go to the arena and help Estelle. She growled in frustration again when her inner voice told her to go. She turned around on her heels and rushed after Yusei.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

_I opened my eyes to see I was standing in the middle of a forest. I sensed a powerful force with a few hints of a darkness slowly consuming the world._

"Jag är...tillbaka... (I am...back...)", _I mumbled._ "Men hur? (But how?)"

_I suddenly heard the roar of Ido the Supreme Magical Force not so far away from where I was._ "Luna!"

"Estelle?! Help!" _Luna's cry echoed._

_I felt a small weight on my left arm and saw it was my Duel Disk. I drew the card on top of my Deck and saw it was Rallis the Star Bird._

"Rallis the Star Bird, I need your help!" _I called as I held up the card._

_The card started shining as it slipped out of my hand to create said Monster in front of me._

"**Mistress!**" _Rallis the Star Bird said in surprise._

"Rallis, take me where Luna is!" _I told my Duel Monster._

"**Understood!**" _Rallis the Star Bird nodded._ "**Climb on!**"

_I climbed on Rallis's back and held onto him before he flapped his wings and flew up in the air. I couldn't help but think it felt familiar to ride on a beast and fly._

_Rallis dived down and I saw Luna with Sunlight Unicorn and Kuribon stand in front of Ido the Supreme Magical Force. Rallis made a grand landing between Luna and Ido before I dismounted Rallis._

"Estelle!" _Luna gasped._

"Let's get out of here, Luna!" _I told her._

_I put the girl onto Sunlight Unicorn before rushing over to Rallis. I climbed onto my Duel Monster and we took off with Kuribon in Luna's arms. We went through the forest when it suddenly looked dead and withered with a dark sky._

"What happened to all the trees?" _Luna asked._ "What's going on?"

"**An evil force is attempting to cross the void and access to the Spirit World**", _a familiar voice spoke up._ "**It yearns to corrupt and twist this place to harness its power for malicious purposes.**"

"Malicious purposes? An evil force?" _Luna questioned._

_I could sense the evil power from this place and it was slowly getting stronger. Sunlight Unicorn and Rallis came to a stop and let me and Luna get off. I helped the girl get down when we realized we were standing in front of a dried lake. But our attention was on a block with the shape of a dragon engraved into it._

"Hello?" _Luna said._

"**I'm here, Luna, sealed away in this prison. I've been waiting for your return**", _the female voice replied._

"I don't get it. What do you want from me?" _Luna asked before she took a closer look at the stone._ "That dragon... Hang on a second! That dragon looks familiar! It's you! Ancient Fairy Dragon!"

"**We meet again. It's time to fulfill your promise, or your brother's spirit may be lost here forever**", _Ancient Fairy Dragon warned._

_The scene changed into a colorful meadow with a younger version of Luna playing with Duel Spirits and Ancient Fairy Dragon watching over them._

"Where's my brother?" _Luna asked._

"**Lost between your world and ours. Now allow me to take you back to when you first came here. To help you remember the promise you made that will save this world and your brother's spirit.**"

_The younger Luna made a crown of flowers and put it onto Kuribon, making it happy and bouncing around. The other Duel Spirits joined the furball's happy dance when the flower crown withered, making Kuribon sad._

"That's weird. The flowers... They wilted",_ the younger Luna said sadly._

"**The Spirit World is in danger, Luna**", _Ancient Fairy Dragon told the girl._ "**An evil force has been trying to gain access to this place to take over with sinister intent. This force reaches out to squeeze the heart of our beloved land. As this evil grows its strength, the light of the Spirit World will begin to fade and the beauty of this realm will be replaced by sorrow and darkness.**"

"Can you stop it?" _the younger Luna asked._

"**No, but you can, Luna.**"

"What can I do?"

"**You are a bridge that connects your world and ours. Stay with us, Luna. Protect us, and in return we can help you. We feel your sadness, my child. We know that you're lonely. You are lonely, aren't you?**"

"Yeah, kinda", _the younger Luna confessed with a sad expression._ "Mom and Dad are always away on important business trips and stuff like that, and I don't go to school as the other kids. And my silly egghead brother only thinks about himself." _She then got a huge smile._ "Okay, Fairy Dragon! I will stay and protect you. I'll protect everyone!"

_The Duel Spirits started cheering joyfully._

"**Thank you, Luna. And I will make sure you'll never feel lonely again.**"

"I remember now", _the real Luna said._ "I-I came here several years ago and I made a promise. I said I'd protect you. But then..."

_Just then, another dragon that looked similar to Ancient Fairy Dragon appeared in the old memory, flying past Ancient Fairy Dragon before it landed next to her. The dragon was white with four angel wings and had golden ornaments on its head and the parts where the wings were on the back and a couple of emerald stones decorating the golden jewelries._

_I recognized the dragon immediately. _"It's Light End Dragon!"

_I could see someone was sitting on Light End Dragon's back before the dragon lowered itself to let its passenger climb off. My breath stopped in my lungs when I saw the human being. It was me! When I was 14 years old!_

"Impossible!" _I exclaimed._ "I've been in the Spirit World too?!"

_Luna looked at me._ "That girl... She was _you_, Estelle?"

"**My dear sister, I've brought with me our other protector**", _Light End Dragon spoke with a woman's voice._

_My younger self looked around in confusion._ "What is this place...?"

_The younger Luna looked at my younger self with curious eyes. _"Who are you?"

_My younger self looked down at the girl before she smiled and sat down in front of the green-haired girl._ "I'm Estelle. What's your name?"

"I'm Luna. Nice to meet you!" _the younger Luna giggled._

"But... If I've been in this world before, how come I can't remember?" _I asked._

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Yusei and Akiza ran to the arena where no action was taking place for the moment.

"Luna! Estelle!" Yusei shouted, but the two girls didn't respond.

"They can't hear us", Akiza pointed out.

Yusei turned to the Professor and saw his eyes were fogged as well. "This is weird. It's like they're all hypnotized or something."

"What's going on?" Akiza wondered. "Their eyes look so distant too..."

The girl couldn't help but worry for her new friend and the little girl. Seeing Luna in her condition made her remember some bad memories of her past.

Sayer was standing close to the stands when he spotted Akiza on the arena. He was surprised to see her there with the other contestant, but then noticed her worried expression.

*_Someone is trying to make Akiza think on her own. But who...?_* Sayer thought before glancing at Estelle who still had her hand on Luna's shoulder.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

"Back then... I heard Leo's voice calling to me", _Luna continued before she fell to her knees with tears in her eyes. I quickly knelt down beside her and put an arm around her shoulders to comfort her._

"I heard him shouting my name, and then I... I just started running as fast as I could. I said that...my brother was calling out for me, but I think I had been calling out to him somehow", _Luna huddled closer to me._ "I was scared. I was afraid I wasn't able to protect you by myself, even if Estelle was there, so I just ran. After that, I tried so hard to forget all about you and then I-"

_A growl brought us back to the reality. We turned around and saw Ido the Supreme Magical Force stand behind us. Sunlight Unicorn and Rallis the Star Bird stepped back to stand next to us. Luna clung on me in fear as I held her close while Kuribon hid behind us._

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

"Estelle! Luna!" Akiza shouted to the girls, but didn't receive any respond.

Yusei glared at the Professor. *_It's gotta be this Professor creep. He's doing something to them. But what?_*

Akiza gasped loudly which brought the young man's attention on her. "What is it?" Yusei asked.

The young woman pointed towards Luna with a shaking arm. "L-Look..."

Yusei turned his eyes at Luna and gasped when he spotted a mark of a claw on the girl's arm. The light shone through the sleeve, revealing crimson light.

"No way! She has a Mark like mine!" Yusei exclaimed.

Akiza couldn't believe what she was witnessing. Luna had the cursed Mark. A small girl! This was not meant to happen to another innocent soul!

Yusei looked at Luna and Estelle. "Okay, wherever they are, they're not here." Akiza turned to him confusedly. "Their bodies might be, but their spirits..."

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

_Ido the Supreme Magical Force faded to reveal the true face of the Professor who was acting and looking like a madman. His true self was now revealed._

_The Professor chuckled,_ "I cannot believe that I have actually crossed over. I've finally left my body behind. I have entered the Spirit World!"

"What do you want?" _Luna asked._

"You are much more important than you know, my dears", _the Professor said._ "Now be good girls and act as my guides. Reveal to me the secrets of this wonderful realm. Lend me your power...", _The Professor said as his Ido the Supreme Magical Force appeared behind him._

_Dark shadows began to lurk from beneath the Professor's feet and crawled towards us. But a light came from my Duel Disk and slashed it away._

_The Professor flinched and smirked at me._ "So it's true. You have a much bigger role than any Signer, Estelle Malmström."

_I glared at the man as the trees around began dying by the darkness._ "Stop it! You're destroying this place!" _I shouted._

_The Professor laughed,_ "Am I?"

"Yes!" _I retorted._

_Luna tugged on my clothes._ "Estelle, I want to go home!"

"But if we leave now, Leo's spirit will be lost here forever", _I told Luna._ "The only chance is to defeat this madman. And only _you_ can do it, Luna!"

"Me?!" _Luna exclaimed._ "But... I can't do this! I can't protect the Spirit World... I'm scared... I wanna go home!"

"Luna... I hear you...", _Leo's voice suddenly echoed around us._

"That's Leo!" _Luna exclaimed._

"Leo!" _I shouted._

"Leo, where are you? Come and get us out of here, please!" _Luna begged._ "I'm scared! Stop messing around!"

"Luna..."

"Do something, Leo! Hurry!"

_Just then, a small puddle appeared next to our feet._

"Luna. Down here...", _Leo's voice spoke from the puddle._

_Luna and I knelt down in front of it._

"Leo, is that you?" _Luna asked._

_Leo's image appeared on the puddle._ "It's me... I'm here..."

"Leo, are you okay?" _I asked._

"Leo, get me out of this place, quick!" _Luna begged._

"I can't bring you out... But I saw your promise to the Spirits", _Leo said._

"I was three!"

"I know, but you're connected to the Spirits now. Don't worry. Know that I am by your side with Estelle. I'll protect you so you can protect them..."

"But, Leo..."

_Leo's image faded when the dark sky began rumble. The boulder where the fossil of Ancient Fairy Dragon rested began crumbling._

"**We are under attack, Luna. Now it's the time you **_**must**_** protect us!**" _Ancient Fairy Dragon said._

"I don't know if I can...", _Luna said hesitantly._

"Yes, you can!" _I said harshly, making Luna flinch. I knelt down to her eyelevel and put my hands on her shoulders._ "Luna, if you ended up in the Spirit World eight years ago, it means you are a chosen one. You have the inner strength to protect this realm unlike the other humans. You are special. You are strong. But you got to believe in yourself and in your Duel Monsters who are here by your side!"

_Luna looked at me with surprised eyes before she looked away to think. Our Duel Monsters stood next to us as the little girl made up her mind. She looked at me once again and nodded with a determined expression._

"I'll do it! I won't let you down, Estelle! Ancient Fairy Dragon! I will fight to protect the Spirit World and save my brother's spirit!"

_We heard evil laugh as the Professor appeared in front of us. His face was kinda scary, but that face would soon disappear._

_But before Luna could Duel him, my Deck began glowing as Rallis the Star Bird disappeared to let another Duel Monster of mine come out. A beam of light shot out from my Deck and flew up to the sky to reveal my Light End Dragon._

"Light End Dragon!" _Luna exclaimed._

"**Light End... My dear sister...**", _Ancient Fairy Dragon said happily._

"**I will bring your spirit back to your body, Estelle**", _Light End Dragon told me._ "**It is now up to Luna to defeat this evil man with her own strength.**"

_I nodded,_ "I understand." _I turned to Luna._ "Remember, Luna, I'm here by your side in the real world, so don't get scared."

_Luna nodded,_ "I'll do my best to protect the Spirit World, Estelle!"

_I smiled lightly before I climbed on Light End Dragon and let my dragon fly up to the sky where a portal of light awaited me._

"**I will explain how you ended up in the Spirit World with Luna once the circumstances has calmed down, Estelle**", _Light End Dragon told me._

"Thank you, because I really need some answers to my questions", _I replied._

_Light End Dragon flew into the portal and everything was shining bright until the surrounding turned dark._

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I felt a pang when my spirit returned to my body. The mental impact was so strong I fell backwards on my rear after I had released Luna's shoulder. I groaned by an incoming headache, but looked up to see I was back safe and sound. I let out a huge sigh of relief before I heard someone call my name.

"Estelle!"

I looked up and saw Akiza and Yusei rush to me, both of them looking really worried. I stood up with weak legs and wobbled a little until I regained my balance.

"Are you okay?" Akiza asked.

I nodded, "For now, yes."

"You and Luna looked like you were hypnotized or something", Yusei turned to Luna who still had fogged eyes.

I walked away from the field to stand next to it with my friends. "Luna has her own Duel to win... To save the Spirit World."

"The Spirit World?" Akiza questioned.

"I'll explain later", I replied. "It's time to finish this Duel and bring the Professor out from the Duel Spirits' realm."

Yusei and Akiza didn't ask more questions, but stayed by my side as the Field Spell Ancient Forest disappeared.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Luna and the Professor's spirits returned to their respective bodies when the Duel ended. The Professor was so weak he fell backwards and fainted. Luna was about to collapse when I rushed over and caught her. I picked her up bridal style and headed to the exit with Yusei and Akiza following me. I head the people in the stands ask questions to each other what had just happened.

I looked up at the big screen to see both Luna and the Professor had zero Life Points. The Duel had ended in a draw just like in the anime. Just then, I saw Luna's Mark stop glowing and the transparent spirit of Kuribon huddled closer to her who smiled at the Duel Monster.

Luna suddenly jumped out from my arms. "I can walk by myself, you know."

"Are you sure, Luna?" I asked.

Luna nodded cheerfully before she turned around and waved to the audience. I smiled, feeling a weight float up from my shoulders.

Yusei and I walked after Luna when I noticed Akiza wasn't coming with us. I turned around and saw her stand in the arena, looking confused and scared. I walked to her, wondering what she was thinking about.

"Akiza?" I asked, making her snap out of her thoughts. "Is something wrong?"

Akiza looked at me before she turned her head away with a sad expression. "It's...Luna's Mark..."

I sighed before I took hold on her right hand. "Don't worry, Akiza. The Mark is more than a curse..."

Akiza looked surprised. "But..."

I gave her a gentle glance. "Luna is okay now. There is nothing to be worried about." Akiza was just quiet. "Let's go."

I pulled gently Akiza with me as I noticed Yusei had waited for us. We shared a small smile before we walked to the entrance, leaving the arena together.


	8. A Night of Talking

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 8: A Night of Talking**

Yusei and I left Akiza when she said she had to go and meet someone. Probably Sayer. I told her we would see her tomorrow which I received a shocking expression from the girl.

Yusei and I went to the stands where our friends were waiting. Luna sat next to Leo who was furious at his sister. He seemed to have forgotten what happened earlier in the Spirit World.

"I can't believe you lost! How are we supposed to get Dueling now, Luna?!" Leo yelled. "It's not fair!"

"Well, just look who's talking. At least I didn't lose my match like you did", Luna retorted.

"Well... Yeah, but...", Leo trailed off.

I kept thinking about the time I had been in the Spirit World, and that flashback... Did I really end up there once? But I didn't even play Duel Monsters when I was 14 years old. I was into Pokémon Trading Card Game at that time and didn't even think about this card game.

I saw Luna place her hand on her right arm where her Mark was.

"What's wrong, Luna? Did your arm hurt during the Duel?" Yanagi asked.

"Yeah, you kept looking at it as if you were expecting to see something", Dexter pointed out.

"My arm's fine! I promise!" Luna said quickly.

"If you say so", Yusei said. "Now I think it's time I get you three home."

"Have fun babysitting the twins", Tanner smirked.

"Alright! We'll have an all-night Dueling sleepover!" Leo said cheerfully.

I leant in closer to Yusei to whisper. "Why?"

"You need to explain about what happened during Luna's Duel", Yusei whispered.

I almost forgot about it.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, listen up!_" the MC called out, making all of us turn to the giant sphere. "_The second round has been announced! Check out the competition brackets! Who knows what excitement awaits? Who will win? Who will lose? Four Duelists, two rounds, one champion! Who will it be? Things are gonna get crazy! See ya tomorrow!_"

The sphere shifted to reveal the next day's Dueling. It was Greiger VS Estelle (Me) and Yusei VS Akiza. So I was truly going against Greiger...

"Looks like you're up against the muscle mountain, gal", Tanner told me.

"Yes", I nodded.

"And Yusei's up against the Black Rose...", Yanagi said worriedly. "This is getting a bit worrisome."

"Well, it's kinda too bad because rumors say Greiger's got a new Duel Runner", Tanner pointed out.

"Sorry for not being a Turbo Duelist, Tanner", I retorted a bit sarcastically. "But I wouldn't mind trying it out once."

"However, the rumors also say Greiger's Duel Runner is unbeatable", Tanner added. "So I think it's best for you to have a Ground Duel if you were a Turbo Duelist."

"Are you okay, Leo?" Luna spoke up.

"Oh, yeah! Fine! I just... I left something...somewhere else", Leo said a bit suspiciously. "Be right back!" He stepped back slowly.

"Where are you going?" Luna asked.

"To... Um... You know... That place with the...", Leo trailed off. "Oh, look at the time! Bye-bye!" Then he ran off.

"Be back before curfew and we'll eat at 8 o'clock as usual, Leo!" I called.

"Roger!" Leo replied.

I sighed through my nose. "I don't like the looks of this..."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Luna and I took a cab back to the Tops with Yusei following us on his Duel Runner. I was relieved to rest my ears from all the loud shouts at the Kaiba Dome. It was pretty exhausting.

I made a nice dinner with some help by Luna who insisted, and now we were waiting for Leo to return back home. The food had been ready for a while and Leo still hadn't showed up and the clock was ten minutes past 8 PM.

"Leo's never late for dinner", Luna said. "I mean, he likes eating food almost as much as he likes Dueling. And he loves your cooking, Estelle."

I had a feeling Leo was at Greiger's garage just like in the anime, but why would he be there when he knew I wasn't going to Turbo Duel?

I stood up from my chair. "I'll go and look for him. I think he ended up in trouble."

Yusei followed my lead. "I'm going with you."

"I can help!" Luna said.

"No, Luna. It's too late for you", I shook my head.

"Oh, come on, please! He's my brother! What if he's hurt?" Luna pointed out.

I nodded, "Okay then. But you'll go with me."

"Okay!" Luna nodded with a happy smile.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Luna and I had been looking for Leo in half an hour when we met up with Yusei on his Duel Runner on an empty street. I had my Duel Disk strapped on my left arm.

"Anything?" I asked Yusei worriedly.

"Nothing", the man shook his head. "How about you two?"

Luna shook her head. "No..."

I gripped my upper arms. "If something happened to Leo, I will never be able to forgive myself."

"Don't worry, Estelle", Yusei told me. "Leo's out here somewhere and we're gonna find him."

Just then, we heard a strange noise coming from Yusei's Duel Runner. He pushed something on the desk and the monitor revealed Blister.

"_Yusei, I went to your friends' bunker, but the place has been totally trashed_", Blister spoke.

"Trashed?! But they're okay, right?" Yusei asked worriedly.

"_They're missing. I can't find a trace._"

"What happened?! Did Goodwin take them in?!"

"_No idea. And here's where the trail goes cold. After I hacked into Security, I couldn't find a trace. It's like they just vanished! And if Goodwin's got a hold on them, they could be anywhere by now._" There were sparks coming from the monitor. "_They're tracking my signal. I gotta sign off quick! I'll come back if I find anything._"

"Thanks", Yusei nodded before turning off the monitor. But he still had a slightly worried expression.

"I'm sorry. Are your friends missing too?" Luna asked.

"Yeah...", Yusei replied as he looked guilty. I could tell he was blaming himself for all the trouble.

"Yusei", I called his name, making him snap out of it. "I don't know the details, but you are not the one to blame about this. If this is anyone's fault that your friends are missing, it's Goodwin, not you."

There was a noise coming from an alley next to us. We turned our attention towards it and saw something moving in the shadows. I stepped forward and held out my Duel Disk if I needed to summon a Monster. Luna stood next to me as we watched the figure coming closer.

As soon as the figure stepped out to the streets, we saw Greiger who was holding Leo over his shoulder. The little boy was in deep sleep.

"Leo?" I mumbled.

"Greiger, what are you doing with Leo?" Yusei asked.

"Relax, he's alright, Estelle, Yusei", Greiger said. "He broke into my garage. I found him sleeping on the floor."

"That's where he went?" I questioned as I lowered down my arm with the Duel Disk.

"He's at least safe", Luna sighed in relief. "He isn't hurt, right?"

"No, he's just fine. Except sleepy", Greiger replied.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

When all of us went back to the Tops, Luna collapsed by fatigue so I carried her up to her room with Greiger following me to tuck Leo into the boy's bed. I placed down Luna's body carefully before slipping off her shoes and jacket and then tucked her in. She made small noises while sleeping which I smiled lightly at.

I walked out of Luna's room and met up with Greiger who waited for me. "The boy's sound asleep", he told me.

"He sure can snore, can he?" I smiled gently.

"Yep", Greiger nodded.

We walked downstairs where Yusei was waiting and the three of us stepped out to the terrace to discuss.

"Thank you for bringing Leo back", I thanked Greiger. "And I'm sorry for the trouble he caused."

"Don't worry. The boy was just trying to help you out", Greiger said.

"But we're not going to Turbo Duel, so what was the point about this nearly sabotage?" I mumbled out loud.

"Maybe he wanted to help Yusei if I defeat you tomorrow", Greiger pointed out.

"Good point", Yusei agreed.

I simply nodded in response. It was kinda true... That's if Yusei could defeat Akiza as in the anime.

"You're gonna call Security for Leo's attempted sabotage?" Yusei asked Greiger.

The muscle man chuckled, "No. He reminds me of my own little brother. I'm not gonna punish him 'cause he's trying to help you two win in the Duels tomorrow. It won't make a difference. Both of you will go down. I may be a good guy off the track, but trust me when I say that you don't want to mess with me when I'm Turbo Dueling." He turned to look at the sky. "After all, these are the big leagues, Yusei, Estelle. I'm riding on this tournament for me and my future."

"Your future?" I questioned.

"You mean, like a big trophy?" Yusei asked.

"Big trophy? No, the future I'm talking about is for my family", Greiger corrected himself. "They're far away, waiting, hoping I'll bring them some help. We used to count the stars together. Here, it's only smog." He let out a small sigh. "And you two? Why are you Dueling here?"

"My friends", Yusei replied. "I don't have a choice about it."

"Let me guess. Goodwin made you an offer that you _couldn't_ refuse", Greiger said. "Sound right?"

"How'd you know? He came to you too?" Yusei asked.

Greiger nodded before he turned back to the sky. "He offered me a chance to rebuild my family's village. My people believed that our forefathers were servants of the People of the Stars and our village has a deep, hidden power."

"The Crimson Dragon?" I spoke up, making both men look at me.

"You know about the Crimson Dragon, Estelle?" Yusei asked.

"The legend of the Crimson Dragon says that whoever controls the dragon also gets to control the destiny of the world", Greiger added.

"_**The power of mine cannot be controlled!**_"

My eyes widened when I heard the Crimson Dragon's baritone voice echoing in my head.

"I haven't been back in my village for years, but after I complete my mission here, I'll head to rebuild my home", Greiger said.

"You can't trust Goodwin's word, Greiger", Yusei said.

"Easy for you to say", Greiger retorted. "But I need his power to help me build my village. I heard it was consumed with fire and destruction unlike any natural disaster ever seen. Then Director Goodwin came to me. He said that he'll help, but not until I promise to help him with his quest."

Now I had to step in.

"Greiger, is that what really happened to your village?" I asked, making him look at me confusedly.

"That's what I've been told", Greiger replied.

"If you truly care about your village and family, you should go and find the truth on your own! Not listening to rumors!" I said a bit breathlessly. "I have a half-brother who's older than you, but unlike you, he's super egoistic and doesn't care about our mother, stepfather and even me."

Greiger was silent for a minute. "It's not my fault your half-brother is egoistic, but I understand what you're trying to tell me."

"Greiger, don't you see you're being used by Goodwin?" Yusei spoke.

"If it's the only way to rebuild my village, then I'll let him use me all he wants, Yusei", Greiger said before he turned to me. "Sorry, Estelle, but tomorrow I have to win no matter what."

"And I need to get the answers about how I ended up in New Domino City in the first place", I retorted.

"You mean you're not originally from this city?" Greiger arched an eyebrow.

I shook my head. "No. I'm coming from a place far away from here." I looked up at the sky. "It feels like my hometown is light-years away, and I don't even remember how I had made my way to New Domino City."

It was kinda true, but I didn't want to reveal too much about myself yet.

"You're talking like you're coming from another planet", Greiger pointed out before he walked past us. "You two are good persons, and in a perfect world we all get what we want in the arena tomorrow. But the world isn't perfect. Two of us have to lose. And tomorrow, it's going to be you guys."

I turned slowly around and saw Greiger walk back into the apartment and stepped into the elevator. I sighed through my nose and relaxed my tense shoulders. I started to feel the darkness in this world was stronger than it was in the anime.

Yusei broke the silent. "Estelle?"

I looked up at him. "Sorry, did you say something?"

"Are you okay? You looked like you were in a trance", Yusei said with slightly worried eyes.

"I'm fine, Yusei..." Just then I heard our stomachs growl, making both of us blush in embarrassment. "How about we eat dinner before I tell you about the adventure Luna and I had?"

We walked inside and heated up our food before digging in. While I waited for my food to get warm, I put away Luna and Leo's untouched dinner in the refrigerator. It would be their breakfast tomorrow so the food wouldn't be wasted.

When the dinner was eaten, I led Yusei to my room so we could talk in peace. I sat down on the bed while Yusei chose to sit on the chair near my desk.

"What happened during Luna's Duel?" Yusei asked.

I sighed, "Luna and I went to the Duel Monsters' Spirit World."

Yusei blinked in shock. "How?"

"I... I think I know how, but I can't tell it yet. I found out that Luna had made a promise to the Spirits to help them protect their world. But she got scared and left when she heard Leo call for her during her coma."

"Luna was in coma?"

"She collapsed during a Duel eight years ago and had been in coma for a month. That's what I've been told by the twins' parents."

"Eight years ago... But that means she was only three years old back then."

"But the most shocking thing for me was...", I took a deep breath. "I was also there in the Spirit World eight years ago."

Yusei's eyes widened, "What?!"

I nodded, "I don't remember myself how in the world my spirit ended up in their world, but I could confirm what I saw the flashback it was the 14 years old me who came riding with a dragon and met Luna."

"A dragon?"

I reached my hand to my Deck that laid on the nightstand and searched through my cards until I found Light End Dragon. I picked up the card and showed it to Yusei.

"The Spirit World's protectors were one of my dragons, Light End Dragon, while the other one was Ancient Fairy Dragon. I believe Ancient Fairy Dragon is Luna's personal dragon, but she doesn't have the card for the moment."

Yusei got up and sat down next to me. "Akiza and I noticed the Professor's eyes were foggy like his spirit was somewhere else."

I nodded, "The Professor...somehow ended up in the Spirit World and tried to use his own darkness to take over the realm. He also mentioned Luna is a Signer and I play a bigger role in this mystery."

"You mentioned before you knew about the Crimson Dragon."

"I know a lot more than you think, Yusei. I know there are five Signers with the Mark of the Dragon and all five of them have their Signer Dragons. That, and the People of the Stars believed their God was the Crimson Dragon. Only five chosen with the Marks were able to summon the Crimson Dragon at the times of need."

"The Crimson Dragon appeared in the Kaiba Dome when Jack and I had released both our dragons..." Yusei suddenly gasped when he remembered something. "Wait! By that time at the Daimon Area, your arm was also glowing..."

I looked at my right arm before pulling up the sleeve to reveal the pentagram Mark.

"I don't know how I got this Mark in the first place. It just showed up one day, a few weeks ago, and it felt like my arm was on fire", I confessed.

"Yanagi said he couldn't remember if there was a certain person in the legend who had this pentagram Mark", Yusei said. "He's still trying to remember if he had missed something important."

I looked down as I pulled down the sleeve. "I'm really confused about so many things I don't know how and where I can find the answers I need." I removed my glasses to rub my tired eyes. "Today was also too much for me to comprehend. I've never had such exhausting Duels."

Yusei nodded, "We should rest for tomorrow's Duels. I have a bad feeling about both semifinals."

"So do I", I nodded before putting on my glasses. "You can take the guest room just across my room. I've already prepared it for you and there is also a bathroom connected to the room."

"Thanks", Yusei stood up after he had squeezed my shoulder in comfort. "Good night, Estelle."

"Good night, Yusei."


	9. VS Greiger

**Full Duel from the beginning to the end. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 9: VS. Greiger**

I woke up around half past 9 in the morning, feeling refreshed but slightly nervous for today's Duels. After I had made my bathroom routine and changed my clothes, I went downstairs to the living room and spotted Yusei sitting at the couch and going through his Deck.

"Good morning", I greeted.

Yusei looked over his shoulder with a small smile. "Good morning. Slept well?"

"Kinda...", I covered my mouth when I yawned. "And you?"

"Pretty good."

I looked around to see if the twins were awake, but they weren't.

"The children are still sleeping?" I questioned as I walked to the kitchen.

"Yeah, I heard Leo snore loudly when I walked past his door", Yusei chuckled.

I chuckled lightly. "I'm not surprised. Have you eaten anything?"

"No, I haven't", Yusei answered.

"Want me to prepare something? Any requests?"

"Just some toast, thanks."

I picked out the bread and made some toasts for both of us and made two cups of Earl Grey tea. We ate silently and finished just when the twins came down together.

"Good morning", Luna smiled.

"Mornin'...", Leo yawned.

"Good morning, you two", I greeted. "I saved your dinner. Will that do as your breakfast?"

"Yes please", Luna nodded.

Leo looked guilty, probably by yesterday's fiasco. I noticed that and sighed lightly before walking over to him. "Leo." He looked up at me. "We need to talk."

Leo nodded slowly as we walked outside to the terrace to talk about yesterday. I wasn't going to scold Leo, just...tell him not to sabotage anything just to help me and Yusei.

"Leo...", I began.

"I'm sorry!" Leo interrupted me. "I was just trying to help you and Yusei..."

I sighed, "I know that, Leo. But cheating is never the answer. Besides, neither Yusei nor I have to cheat in order to win." Leo lightened up when I said that. "Just don't do anything reckless again or I will make you do Luna's chores for three months."

"What?! No fair!" Leo exclaimed.

"It _is_ very fair, Leo", I crossed my arms. "Do you understand?"

Leo pouted in defeat. "Yes, I understand."

I smiled, "Good. Now go and eat your breakfast with Luna before we head to the dome."

"Okay!" Leo smiled widely before rushing back inside.

I chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm for food. I walked back inside and saw the twins eat their dinner for breakfast. Yusei was going through his Deck and switched a few cards with a Side Deck. I smiled at the scene before walking up to my room to fetch my bag and Duel Disk with my Deck.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

We arrived to the Kaiba Dome half an hour before the Fortune Cup would start. The arrangers wanted us contestants to register half past 11 so they could see if all Duelists had checked in.

Leo and Luna went with Dexter, Tanner and Yanagi while Yusei and I went to the lounge to wait for our Duels. While we were heading to the lounge I spotted Akiza up ahead.

"Akiza!" I called.

Said girl stopped on her track and looked over her shoulder with a confused expression.

I smiled at her, knowing she was surprised that someone else except Sayer cared about her. "Hi, Aki!"

"Uh... Hi?" Akiza replied uncertainly.

I chuckled at her reaction as Yusei and I walked up to her. "Are you feeling nervous for today?" I asked.

"Y-Yeah...", Akiza nodded after she had given Yusei a glare.

"Want to go to the lounge together?" I stood next to the burgundy-haired girl.

Akiza nodded shyly, probably not being used to receive so much kindness from a stranger who knew she was the Black Rose Witch.

So the three of us went to the lounge together. Once we were there, I began looking through my Deck and switched cards with my Side Deck. Akiza sat next to me and kept glaring at Yusei who ignored her heated glances.

When I was done with the Deck, I put the Deck in my Duel Disk and placed the rest of the cards in my bag. Since I was still nervous about my upcoming Duel, I picked out my MP3-player with earphones to listen to music. Music helped me to calm down.

Akiza glanced curiously at me before she clicked my shoulder. I paused the song and removed one of the earphones. "Hm?"

"What are you listening at?" Akiza asked.

I held out one of the earphones to her, telling her to put it in her ear. Akiza hesitated before she grabbed the earphone and put it in her ear. I started playing the song again. Akiza listened for a minute before she pointed out something. "The lyrics... It's not English."

I nodded, "That's because it's a Japanese song."

Akiza removed the earphone and handed it over to me. "You understand Japanese?"

I made a so-so gesture with my hand. "I can talk a few words on Japanese and know the meaning of it."

"But how do you understand the meaning of the song?" Yusei asked.

I smiled gently. "I used to look up the English translation of the Japanese song and then understand what the song is about. Otherwise, it's just the title of the song that gives me the hint."

I looked around and realized Greiger wasn't in the lounge. I checked the clock at the wall behind us and saw it was 10 minutes left for the first semifinal to begin. I paused the MP3 once again and walked over to a staff member. "Excuse me?" The man looked up from his clipboard. "Do you know if Greiger has arrived to the dome?"

"Greiger has registered an hour ago, so he's here", the functionary replied.

"Okay, thank you", I nodded.

I walked back to the table and sighed lightly. I wondered if Greiger was looking through Goodwin's private files on the computer and finding out the truth about his family and village.

"Um... Are you okay?" Akiza asked.

I looked up at her with nervous eyes. "Yes, I think so..."

"You're thinking about what Greiger told us yesterday? About his village and family?" Yusei wondered.

I nodded, "Kinda..."

Akiza looked confused, but didn't ask anything.

I shut off the MP3 and put it away in my bag before standing up. I opened a locker and put the bag inside it and closed it gently. Then I sat down and went through my Deck once again to see if I needed to switch a card or not.

When I was satisfied with my Deck, I put it back in the Duel Disk and tied my hair into a low ponytail just when the functionary walked over to us. He cast a nervous glance at Akiza while holding the mic of his headset. "Miss Estelle? They're calling you to the stage."

I nodded, "Okay." I became more nervous as I stood up and adjusted the Duel Disk on my left arm. "It's time..."

"Just relax and take it easy", Yusei told me. "If you let the nervousness take over, you won't be able to focus."

I nodded, "I'll try relaxing as soon as I get on the stage."

"Estelle...", Akiza mumbled, making me look down at her. "G-Good luck..." She had a slight shade of pink on her cheeks. She was probably feeling a bit shy about communicating with people normally.

I smiled, "Thank you, Aki."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I was elevated up to the stage as the MC introduced me after they had elevated up Greiger first. I tried to see if Greiger was still upset, but his face looked emotionlessly. He was hiding his pain really good.

"Well, Greiger, one of us will win today", I said, trying to cheer him up. "But the question is who?"

Greiger smirked slightly. "It's going to be a pleasure Dueling you, Estelle. But after the Duel, I need to tell you something."

I nodded, "I'll be all ears, Greiger."

"_Duelists, activate your Duel Disks!_" the MC called.

Greiger and I held up our arms and activated the Duel Disks.

"Let's Duel!"

**Greiger: 4000**

**Estelle: 4000**

We drew each five cards from the top of our Decks.

"I'll make the first move, Estelle", Greiger said. "I draw! And I think I start with this. Spell Reactor-RE!" The reactor Monster appeared in front of him.

**Spell Reactor-RE, Level 3: ATK 1200**

"And next, I throw three face-downs. You're up!" Greiger placed three cards face-down.

"I draw!" I drew my sixth card.

I looked at my hand and saw I had Divine Wrath, Hunter Dragon, Sorcerous Spell Wall, Oracle of the Sun, Galaxy Dragon and Rallis the Star Bird. I had to play smart now if Greiger went with the same strategy as in the anime.

"I place one card face-down and summon Hunter Dragon in attack mode!" I set the Trap card as Hunter Dragon appeared on my side of the field.

**Hunter Dragon, Level 3: ATK 1700**

"In that case, I activate my face-down Trap Hidden Soldiers!" Greiger declared. "Now yours truly gets a Level 4 monster from my hand." He picked one of his two remaining cards from his hand. "And I've got just the one for you. He goes by Trap Reactor-Y FI, and with this card on my field, Estelle, I only need one more for a big surprise." Trap Reactor-Y FI appeared next to Spell Reactor-RE.

**Trap Reactor-Y FI, Level 4: ATK 800**

I cold sweated, knowing what Greiger got planned. But I had one of the cards I needed to give my own surprise for the muscle guy in the next few rounds. "Hunter Dragon, attack Spell Reactor!"

Hunter Dragon roared as he attacked the reactor Monster with his claws and fangs, causing an explosion.

**Greiger: 4000 – 3500**

**Estelle: 4000**

But when the smoke died down, Spell Reactor was still on the field.

"Don't tell me you're shocked", Greiger snorted. "I had two more face-downs on my field, and one of them was Fake Explosion and not only does this Trap knock down your low obtain attack but I get a bonus. As in a Level 5 Monster from my hand, bringing your surprise early. Summon Reactor-SK, join the party!" The third reactor appeared among its two friends on the field.

**Summon Reactor-SK, Level 5: ATK 2000**

But Greiger wasn't done yet. "Now I will activate Delta Reactor! This card sends Spell Reactor, Trap Reactor and Summon Reactor all to the Graveyard." The three Reactors flew up at the sky together. "I hate to do this to you, Estelle, but like I told you and Yusei last night, two of us have to lose. And today it's you and then Yusei!" The three reactor Monsters fused together in a white light. "I summon Flying Fortress SKY FIRE!"

The enormous mecha looked even bigger close up and seemed to be very deadly if the Monster was real and not holographic.

**Flying Fortress SKY FIRE, Level 8: ATK 3000**

"_Greiger brings out his big bang beast in the second round!_" the MC said. "_Can Estelle find a way out of this or will she be pulverized before she can say Duel Monsters?_"

"You know the deal, right?" Greiger asked me. "You lose 800 points of damage if you ever summon a Monster or place one card face-down. And if that weren't enough, the card you just played will also be destroyed!" Flying Fortress SKY FIRE floated above me and Hunter Dragon, hiding us in its shadow. "You have to face it. You can't make a move without getting hurt! My family needs me which means you're going to have to lose this match, Estelle!"

I growled through my teeth as I started to feel the seriousness in the air around us. "I end my turn!"

"It's my turn", Greiger drew a card. "Flying Fortress SKY FIRE, take out Estelle's Hunter Dragon!"

SKY FIRE shot bullets towards my dragon, but Hunter Dragon avoided them until he got hit by the machine Monster's wing.

**Greiger: 3500**

**Estelle: 4000 –**** 2700**

"_Estelle has taken a lashing! But, thankfully, she's still standing with more than half her Life Points remaining! But the question is, can she go through Flying Fortress SKY FIRE's power without taking any damage?_" the MC questioned.

I was glad I've got my well-trained poker face so no one could read by my expression that I did have a plan.

"You seem like a nice enough gal, Estelle", Greiger said. "But you've gotta fall. 'Cause I've got too much on this Duel to risk losing it!" He placed his new card face-down.

"And so do I", I replied, drawing a card which was Dust Tornado. "Since you've got a Monster on your field and I don't, I can Special summon Oracle of the Sun!" The spellcaster Monster appeared in front of me, kneeling down in defense mode.

**Oracle of the Sun, Level 5: DEF 2000**

"Too bad your oracle can't shield itself from my assault!" Greiger warned. "Remember, when you play a card, that card is destroyed and SKY FIRE rains 800 points of damage from above."

I smirked, "That won't happen because I activate my face-down Divine Wrath!" I turned up said card. "By discarding a card from my hand..." I sent Galaxy Dragon to the Graveyard. "...I can not only negate your Monster's special ability but also destroy it!"

"What?!" Greiger exclaimed in shock.

A thundercloud appeared above SKY FIRE before lighting struck the machine Monster. Greiger screamed loudly as SKY FIRE crashed down in front of him and exploded into a cloud of smoke.

"_Incredible! Estelle did not only save her monster but also destroyed Greiger's killer machine without taking any damage!_" the MC shouted excitedly. "_Who could have foreseen that move?!_"

People were shouting excitedly, seeing how a simple female Duelist such as me could take down a muscle mountain's armed Monster.

I kept playing. "And since there was a Special summon, I can Normal summon another monster to the field. Say hello to Rallis the Star Bird!" The winged beast roared as he appeared next to Oracle of the Sun.

**Rallis the Star Bird, Level 3: ATK 800**

"I think I add this Spell card", I placed the Sorcerous Spell Wall card in the Field Zone. "I activate the Field Spell Sorcerous Spell Wall!" A large shiny pentagram appeared in the middle of the field that released gentle light around my Monsters.

"What does that card do?" Greiger asked.

"Simple. During my turns, my Monsters gain 300 attack points while during my opponent's turns they will gain 300 defense points", I explained.

**Rallis the Star Bird, Level 3: ATK 800 – 1100**

"Rallis, attack directly with Star Wind!" I ordered.

Rallis opened his wings and flapped his wings so hard it created a small hurricane around Greiger with star powder flying around in the air.

**Greiger: 3500 – 2400**

**Estelle: 2700**

"But because Rallis the Star Bird has attacked, he's removed from play and returns to my field at the beginning of my next turn's Battle Phase", I explained as I removed Rallis's card, making the winged beast Monster disappear from the field. "I place a new face-down and end my turn." I placed Dust Tornado upside-down in the Duel Disk as my spellcaster Monster gained 300 defense points due to the effect of my Field Spell.

**Oracle of the Sun, Level 5: DEF 2000 – 2300**

"_Estelle has made a powerful comeback, turning the table around! But will Greiger turn it back for his advantage?_" the MC wondered.

Greiger recovered from the direct attack, smiling softly. "Not bad, but the Duel's far from over." He drew a card. "I place one card face-down and end my turn."

"It's my turn", I drew a new card which was Swords of Revealing Light. "First I activate my face-down Dust Tornado!" Said card was revealed. "I can destroy one of your face-downs and I choose the one you have just set." A whirlwind shot out from my Trap card and destroyed Greiger's Trap card which was Chariot Piles. "Next I play the Spell card Swords of Revealing Light! For your next three turns, you can't declare any attacks at me with Monsters you summon." Six swords of light appeared around Greiger and created a shield around him to keep him caged inside during his next three turns. "Well, I know it's now time for my Battle Phase which means Rallis the Star Bird returns to my field." I placed said card on my Duel Disk, making the winged beast appear next to Oracle of the Sun in attack mode.

**Rallis the Star Bird, Level 3: ATK 800 – 1100**

"But I think I skip this time. I end my turn", I declared.

"_Estelle is really keeping Greiger on line. Could she be planning something because she skipped the Battle Phase even though she could have attacked with Rallis the Star Bird?_" the MC commented.

I was having a plan, but I needed to buy some time and get the right cards before the effect of Swords of Revealing Light would end.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

At the stands, Leo and Luna's gang was a bit nervous and yet excited about Estelle's gameplay.

"Estelle was amazing with the Trap card that took down Flying Fortress SKY FIRE without taking any damage", Dexter said excitedly.

"Yeah! And she did think well by using Swords of Revealing Light to buy some time", Tanner nodded.

"What do you mean, Tanner?" Yanagi asked.

"I think Estelle's trying to get a certain card she really needs to take down Greiger before he can assault her again", Tanner explained. "And in the meantime, she used that star bird to do some damage while keeping her oracle on the field."

"But why didn't she use Rallis the Star Bird to attack Greiger again if she has the advantage?" Leo wondered.

"I don't know, Leo", Luna shook her head. "But it could be she's having a plan that requires a Monster and she might want to keep Rallis the Star Bird on the field."

"Good thinking, Luna", Tanner nodded.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

Greiger drew another card. "I'm skipping my turn."

"Okay", I nodded and drew a new card which was Mini-Guts. *_Den blir bra att använda, men jag måste få en Tuner Monster innan Swords of Revealing Light upphör. __(It will be good to use, but I have to get a Tuner Monster before Swords of Revealing Light ceases.)_*

"I switch Rallis the Star Bird into defense mode and end my turn", I said as Rallis turned blue when he went into a defense position.

**Rallis the Star Bird, Level 3: DEF 800 – 1100**

"It's my move", Greiger drew a card. "And I summon Black Salvo!" A big black bomb Monster appeared in front of Greiger.

**Black Salvo, Level 3: ATK 100**

"So with the power of my Black Salvo, I'm bringing back my Trap Reactor-Y FI and now I tune my Black Salvo with my Level 4 Trap Reactor-Y FI!"

"Oh no...", I cold sweated.

"You're surprised? You're not the only Duelist who uses Synchro Monsters", Greiger said. "I give you Dark Strike Fighter!"

Said Synchro Monster appeared in front of Greiger.

**Dark Strike Fighter, Level 7: ATK 2600**

"Remember, you can't attack my Monsters with Swords of the Revealing Light still on the field", I reminded Greiger.

"I know, but after my next turn, the effect of the Spell card will vanish and I can then attack you", Greiger told me. "I activate the Ultimate Flare Trap card which allows me to summon an Ultimate Flare Token." The spiky Token appeared next to Dark Strike Fighter.

**Ultimate Flare Token, Level 10: DEF 0**

"I'm warning you, Estelle", Greiger said. "In the next few turns, I will activate the Dark Strike Fighter's effect to sacrifice the Ultimate Flare Token and inflict 2000 damage at you." I cold sweated at the threat. "I'm afraid your fate has been sealed, Estelle. There's nothing you can do to win this Duel now!"

"It's too early to head into conclusions, Greiger", I put my fingers on my Deck. *_Allt är upp till nästa kort jag drar nu. (Everything is up to the next card I draw now.)_* I took a deep breath and drew the card. I flipped it up and sighed in relief.

"It's over now, Greiger", I said. "I summon the Tuner Monster Fire Ant Ascator!" The insect Monster appeared next to Oracle of the Sun.

**Fire Ant Ascator, Level 3: ATK 700 – 1000**

"A Tuner Monster?" Greiger questioned.

"Exactly", I nodded. "I tune in Fire Ant Ascator with Oracle of the Sun." Said Monsters glowed before they shot up to the sky. The sun suddenly shone brighter as the Synchro summoning occurred.

"Come forth, the guardian of the sun, the king of the sky... Sun Dragon Inti!"

A stone pattern in the shape of the sun with a face appeared as four red/orange necks grew out with four dragon heads. The sun pattern began glowing soft blue as the four dragon heads roared simultaneously.

**Sun Dragon Inti, Level 8: ATK 3000 – 3300**

"_Whoa! Yesterday, people, we could witness the moon dragon and today its twin Sun Dragon Inti! Is it just me or does the sun feel a bit hotter than usual?_" the MC wondered.

I kissed the Mini-Guts Spell card. "I activate the Spell card Mini-Guts!"

"Mini-Guts?" Greiger questioned.

"With Mini-Guts, I can sacrifice a Monster on my field and then target one of your Monsters. Its attack points will become 0 until the End Phase. And I choose Rallis the Star Bird to target Dark Strike Fighter." Rallis the Star Bird dissipated as his remaining star powder whirled around Dark Strike Fighter and made the Monster lose all his attack points.

**Dark Strike Fighter, Level 7: ATK 2600 – 0**

"And the next effect of the Spell card will activate as soon as Sun Dragon Inti destroys your Synchro Monster", I told Greiger before turning to my dragon. "Sun Dragon Inti, attack Dark Strike Fighter with Sunlight Blaster!"

The sun pattern started glowing as the four heads of Sun Dragon Inti opened their mouths to collect energy for the attack. They unleashed Sunlight Blaster together and took out Dark Strike Fighter.

"Now when Dark Strike Fighter got destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you'll get damage equal to your monster's original attack points!" I told Greiger.

"NO!" Greiger screamed as the remaining energy of Dark Strike Fighter went on him as his Life Points dropped to zero.

**Greiger: 2400 – 0**

**Estelle: 2700**

"_That's it, people. After six rounds of white-knuckle action, this Duel has roared to a close with a stunning finale. New Domino City's Shining Star has managed to whip up a combo from behind_", the MC commented.

Sun Dragon Inti was still floating in the air as I noticed Greiger had fallen down on his knees. I grew concerned and rushed over to him.

"Greiger, are you okay?" I asked as soon as I was one meter from him.

Greiger got up slowly, picking up a microphone from his pocket. "Estelle, I'm fine. But it's not over." I blinked in confusion as I heard his voice echoing around me. "I was hoping to do this differently, but if it needs to be like this, so be it."

"What...do you mean?" I asked, knowing where this was heading to.

"I told you and Yusei about my village, Estelle", Greiger began. "I told you about the fire and the destruction. But I have learned the truth. Goodwin isn't going to help me rebuild my village like he promised. How could he when it isn't even there anymore?!"

"Greiger...", I mumbled sadly.

"Look!" Greiger pointed up at the sphere above the dome. "That was my village, before Goodwin came along!" The sphere shifted picture and showed a village in a mountain area. "I hacked into Goodwin's personal files before the Duel and discovered it wasn't a natural disaster. Goodwin came along and decided to use our valley as a little testing ground. He tried to resurrect his precious Crimson Dragon, but he couldn't control the energy. It was too powerful, and then..." The sphere showed how a powerful energy burst through the village until there was nothing left. "The village is gone! Everyone who lived there, all gone! Vanished! Nowhere to be found!"

I felt tears collecting in my eyes. The power of the Crimson Dragon and the darkness...was so much stronger than I could have imagined. But... This world was existing for real, not as in a world of cartoon.

"Thank you, Estelle", Greiger said, making me look at him confusedly. "You told me to go and find the truth on my own and not listening to rumors. And I am grateful to you. Just like your name, you have an inner star that shone stronger than ever during this Duel." I moved my left hand to my mouth, slightly covering it while being touched by Greiger's words. No one had ever said such a thing to me if you excluded my parents.

"Now, Goodwin's going to answer for all his lies!" Greiger shouted.

Just then, a loud ear-splitting noise echoed through the whole dome as Greiger's Duel Runner burst out to the racing ground self-automated. Greiger rushed past me as I followed him with my eyes.

Greiger jumped down from the stage and landed in perfect timing on his Duel Runner before accelerating. "Now that the world knows what you did, it's time for you to pay! For my friends! My family! _My home_! Your Ivory Tower is about to come tumbling down, Goodwin!"

"No!" I turned to Sun Dragon Inti, not even thinking how he was still on the field even when my Duel Disk wasn't activated. "Sun Dragon Inti, stop him!"

My dragon roared before heading towards Greiger who had activated the spiky things on his Duel Runner. Greiger was up in the air, heading towards the Ivory Tower, when Sun Dragon Inti appeared in front of him and blocked the Duel Runner. One of Sun Dragon Inti's head caught one of the spikes with his mouth, biting it off making the spike heading towards the tower.

Sun Dragon Inti knocked Greiger off course and let the Duelist crash down at the ground as in the anime. My dragon headed towards me as I rushed towards Greiger, jumping onto one of my dragon's necks to get down safer from the stage to the muscle man.

When Sun Dragon Inti let me jump off him, I rushed towards Greiger who seemed to be okay by the terrible crash. "Greiger, are you-"

I couldn't finish my sentence because Greiger seized me and knocked me down on the ground, his arms trembling by his inner anger and sadness.

"Estelle, how could you?! I had him!" Greiger yelled.

I put a hand on Greiger's fist. "I'm sorry, Greiger! I'm so sorry that Goodwin lied and used you, but you have to listen to me. Going after him or even try to murder him won't solve anything or get you the answers."

Greiger's tears ran down his cheeks as he glared at me. "What do I do?!"

"I promise I will do everything I can to figure it out", I assured him, feeling my own tears collecting in my eyes.

Greiger let go of my jacket and screamed at the top of his lungs. "GOODWIN!"

My instincts rushed over me as I did the only thing I could think of… Hugging Greiger close to my chest as I let the heart-broken man cry out his sorrow while feeling his giant arms embrace my waist. I let my own tears run down my cheeks as I stroked his thin, soft hair. I heard Sun Dragon Inti roar loudly and angrily in the background, sharing my emotions.


	10. Emotional Connections

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 10: Emotional Connections**

I watched how the paramedics came rushing out with a hospital trolley and functionaries taking care of Greiger's crashed Duel Runner. Said Duelist has fallen asleep during his crying, his head resting on my lap, and there were still tears running down his cheeks as his arms around my waist lightened up. Sun Dragon Inti had dissipated only a few seconds ago after he had roared into the air.

The paramedics lifted up Greiger on the trolley, but I was still holding his hand, feeling him squeeze it in his sleep. But we had to let go when the paramedics rolled him away, my tiny hand slipping out from his huge one.

"_People of New Domino City_", Goodwin's voice echoed around the dome with the holographic screens popping up everywhere, showing the director's face. "_It's always a terrible tragedy when a gifted Duelist, like our very own Greiger, suffers a complete nervous and emotional breakdown over such an intense Duel._" I rubbed my tears off my cheeks and eyes as I felt my anger at Goodwin increase by each word he spoke. "_But, rest assured, he'll get all the help he needs._"

I clenched my hands into fists in anger as the people began cheering. I looked up at the Ivory Tower, glaring at Goodwin while I felt this anger inside my heart becoming stronger, but I behaved myself and left the arena, heading back inside before I could scream to every people that Goodwin was a liar.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

After Goodwin had explained for Jack about his metal arm and had put on a new glove, a holographic screen showed up in front of the director with Zigzix who had a slight worried expression.

"_Director Goodwin, first of all, I hope you are all right after that dreadful spinning incident_", Zigzix began.

"I am perfectly fine as you can see, Zigzix", Goodwin said. "Now, what do you have to report? Did you pick up a signal from Estelle during the Duel?"

"_No, Director Goodwin, but here comes the strange part..._", Zigzix said. "_Just a few seconds ago, my detector caught a small signal that seemed to come from the female Duelist, but it was very slight that the energy could have been something else than the power of the Crimson Dragon, like the power of the Black Rose for an example._"

"Well, that is at least a start", Goodwin nodded. "Just keep looking for the signals so we can confirm if Yusei, the Black Rose and Estelle are truly Signers."

"_As you wish, Director_", Zigzix bowed before the holographic screen disappeared.

Jack pondered about Estelle and the mystery about her Sun Dragon Inti. He had noticed the female Duelist's Duel Disk was deactivated and yet the dragon had been up and took hold onto Greiger's Duel Runner. It did even look like the dragon had suffered by slight pain and after that, Estelle had jumped on and ridden on the dragon's neck.

Jack couldn't help but wonder who that plain woman was. He stood up from the couch and headed to the elevator. He needed to speak with Estelle about the upcoming final.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I was walking down the corridor, still feeling the anger at Goodwin. How could he do that to so many innocent people, killing everyone only to resurrect the Crimson Dragon?!

I wasn't violent in nature, but I had to get rid of the anger so I turned to the wall and kicked it hard with my right foot several times. I hissed through my teeth as I felt the anger slowly disappear until my leg grew tired. I gasped for air and rested my hands on my knees.

*_Vad hände med mig nyss...? Jag har inte känt denna ilska sedan jag var en liten flicka... __(What happened to me just now...? I haven't felt this anger since I was a little girl...)_*

I straightened up after I regained my breath, releasing my ponytail and used my hands to brush through my thick hair. I heard footsteps and looked up to see Yusei. His facial expression looked like a poker face, but I could sense a bit of worriedness. Behind him walked Akiza with a few meters distance, her head down and eyes holding concern. I blinked confusedly at the slight tension in the air.

"What's wrong, guys?" I asked, adjusting my Duel Disk when I thought I felt it being a little loose.

Yusei was about to reply when Akiza walked past him and went to me, putting her hands on my shoulders. "Are you okay, Estelle? Greiger didn't hurt you, did he?" she asked.

I blinked before I smiled gently. "I'm fine, Akiza. But it's Greiger who's got a broken heart after he found out the truth."

Akiza's eyes grew sad and looked down at the floor, pondering about something. Yusei remained quiet in the background, gripping his arm with the Mark of the Dragon.

"What's your deal with the Marks of ours?" Yusei began, gaining mine and Akiza's attention. "When you saw ours the other day you really freaked out."

Akiza let go of my shoulders to turn around and grip her own arm with the Mark. "Yeah, well, this Mark has brought me nothing but pain. So what good would come from having another one around? You got that?"

"Akiza, there's no need to be so harsh", I told her calmly.

Akiza turned to me. "Easy for you to say! You don't understand what I've been through during my whole life!"

I gave her my sympathy eyes. "I _do_ know, Akiza." Both she and Yusei acted surprised by my answer. "I know that kind of pain you have been gone through during your life. I also have an old path of pain and sadness behind me."

"But the Marks are dangerous...", Akiza retorted with a unsure voice now.

"Only when you let the power control you", I added. "If you learn how to-"

"Yusei! Estelle!"

"There you are!"

Yusei and I turned around and saw Leo and Luna over to us excitedly.

"Estelle, you were so cool out there...", Leo began when the twins noticed Akiza. "The witch!" Akiza flinched at the name and glared at the boy.

"Leo, apologize!" I said, making the twins look at me. "Akiza is _not_ a witch!"

"Sorry, force of a habit", Leo said slight nonchalantly.

Luna glanced nervously at Akiza and turned her eyes at the young woman's arm, her elbow-length glove hiding her Mark.

I glared at Leo who laughed nervously at my expression when I suddenly felt pain in my heart. I gasped for air and clutched my jacket where my heart was and used my other hand to lean against the wall. Everyone acted immediately at my sudden change of condition.

"Estelle!" Luna gasped.

"Are you okay?" Leo asked.

I kept gasping for air as the pain rushed through my body and slowly disappeared. I opened my eyes and looked up to see Yusei and Akiza looking really worried. I turned my eyes to Akiza when I noticed an aura of pain around her.

*_Smärtan jag kände nyss...var Akizas? __(The pain I felt just now…was Akiza's?)_* I thought as I straightened up. "Yes, now I'm fine..."

"Are you sure you're really alright, Estelle?" Yusei wondered. "Yesterday you had that headache during Leo's Duel."

It wasn't a secret anymore that it was Leo who had Dueled for his sister's place in the first match against Greiger.

"I'm sure I'll be fine if I get to rest before the final Duel", I nodded.

"Estelle...", Akiza mumbled worriedly.

"What's going on back here?" a new voice asked.

We turned around and saw Lazar walk up to us.

"Everybody getting along nicely?" Lazar wondered before he turned to me. "Quite the Duel just now, Miss Estelle. Very impressive." He turned now to Akiza. "Before the second semifinal gets underway, Director Goodwin has a few things he'd like to talk to you about. Why don't you come with me and we-"

"Akiza must prepare herself before the Duel."

A man with maroon-colored hair walked up to us with two other men dressed in fancy clothes like two knights of Team Plasma from my Pokémon games. I knew very well who the leader was. Sayer.

"And you are?" Lazar asked.

"Don't play dumb, Lazar", Sayer retorted. "Your reputation precedes you. We both know you don't like surprises, so let's not waste time pretending you haven't done your homework like I have." Lazar just chuckled evilly. "Stay away from Akiza. And tell the director she's not interested in what he has to say." Sayer made a move with his hand. "Now, excuse us."

The two "knights" walked away with Akiza who cast me a worried glance, trying to tell me something. Sayer was about to go with them when he stopped in front of me and studied me up and down with his eyes.

"I sense you have a potential strength within you, Miss Malmström", Sayer said, making me arch an eyebrow. "And Akiza told me how you two became friends. I hope you want to continue being her friend."

I gave him a slight dull glance. "Of course."

Sayer nodded slightly before walking after his group. Leo and Luna stood next to me, Luna tugging my jacket in fear. Yusei just glanced at Sayer with precaution.

"Well, the director will _not_ be pleased with this at all", Lazar said unimpressed.

Yusei stepped up to Lazar. "What's the story? Goodwin. What's he want with Akiza?"

"Did you not get the memo?" Lazar retorted. "I could have sworn we meant to keep you posted. So sorry about that." With that said, he walked away.

"That Akiza creeps me out", Leo commented.

"Leonardo Crier...", I glared at him as I used my warning tone.

Leo flinched, "S-Sorry!"

"She seems so sad...", Luna commented while holding her arm.

"Something wrong?" Yusei asked her.

"Umm... My arm kind of stings or something", Luna replied. "Whenever that girl looks at me... I feel all weird and stuff..."

I put my hand on Luna's head, making her look at me. I had on a small smile on my lips. "Don't worry too much... Things will be clearer in good time. Now, why don't you two head back to the stands before the next semifinal begins?"

"Okay...", the twins nodded.

Yusei and I watched as the twins walked away when the young man turned to me. "Estelle-"

"Well, look who we have here."

*_Igen? Vem är det härnäst? (Again? Who's next?)_*

I turned around to almost come face to face with Jack Atlas. Once again I felt the tension between the two men who glared at each other.

"Jack", Yusei said with a stone-cold voice.

"Yusei", Jack replied with the same tone before he turned his eyes on me. "I'd like to speak with Miss Who's-not-supposed-to-exist here."

I gasped mentally when Jack said that. Had Goodwin already found out I wasn't from this world and he had mentioned that to Jack?!

"What do you mean by that, Jack?" Yusei wondered.

Jack didn't answer his old friend and grabbed my right wrist roughly. "None of your business yet, _old friend_." He dragged me away, making me stumble on my feet.

"J-Jack, wait a second!" I said before I looked over my shoulder. "Go and prepare for your Duel, Yusei."

"But-"

"Don't worry. I'll be fine."

Yusei hesitated, but nodded and headed off to the lounge.

When Jack and I turned a corner, the man let go of my wrist and put a hand on the wall behind me, trapping me. Jack stared intensely at me with a hidden glare. I was a bit scared, but more embarrassed about the situation since I wasn't used to it.

"D-Do you need anything, Jack...?" I asked timidly.

"Just this. Make sure you'll lose on purpose if Yusei makes it to the final", Jack told me.

I arched an eyebrow. "Why...?"

"Because Yusei and I have some scores to get even with", Jack hissed dangerously.

I suddenly lost my shyness and got all confident. "Because Yusei actually won against you if your Turbo Duel could have been finished to the last?"

Jack gaped before he glared at me. "How'd you know about our Duel?! Did you hack into the private files?!"

I shook my head. "I don't have that kind of knowledge. But I can assure you I will do my best in the final and then we'll see who will Duel against you, Jack." I grabbed his arm and pushed it away. "Now, if you excuse me." I walked out of the corridor heading to the lounge where I could possibly find Yusei.

When I was only a few meters from the lounge, I stopped walking and leant my back against the wall, letting out a deep sigh. *_Vad hände nyss egentligen? Förut hade jag aldrig kunnat bete mig som jag gjorde nyss mot Jack; så stark...och gott om självförtroende att jag kunde kontra mot honom... Jag var ju så skraj innan och helt plötsligt kom detta mod och självförtroende… __(What just happened? Before I had never been able to behave as I did just now against Jack; so strong...and plenty of self-confidence that I could counter against him... I was so frightened before and suddenly got this courage and confidence...)_*

I let out another sigh before I stepped into the lounge. It was empty except for a crab-shaped head sitting on the couch. Yusei was going through the recording of Akiza's Duel with Sir Randsborg.

I walked over to him when he looked over his shoulder to see me. "Everything okay?" he asked.

I nodded as I sat down next to him. "I'm fine."

"What did Jack want to talk to you about?" Yusei asked.

I shrugged, "He told me to lose against you on purpose if we meet at the final because he mentioned something about settling a score with you. Nothing else."

"You sure?"

"If something else had happened, I would have told you immediately."

Yusei was about to ask something more, but shut his mouth and returned his eyes at the screen in front of us.

I sighed when I thought about the pain Akiza was suffering by. She was mostly scared for her own power and that was the reason why she couldn't control it.

"About the upcoming Duel...", I spoke out loud, catching Yusei's attention. "...I have a bad feeling about this, but I can tell Akiza is suffering by something..."

Yusei nodded, "So do I-"

I didn't let Yusei continue as I kept talking. "Akiza's heart is shut-off and won't accept any help or friendship. But when I spoke to her yesterday, during your Turbo Duel with Hunter Pace, she seemed to slowly open up and I tried to help her by telling her to make some small steps like congratulating you after your victory."

That made Yusei arch an eyebrow. "So she walked over to me to congratulate me because you told her to?"

I nodded, "I want to help her to open her heart and realize there are people who will and _can_ accept her for who she is. The _real_ her, not the Black Rose." I turned to Yusei. "Yusei, this Duel will be dangerous, but I want you to communicate with her. Try to reach her heart and make her realize there are people who want to help her get out of her shell, from all the pain she has built inside her heart." I reached my hand instinctively to Yusei's and grasped it. "Please, Yusei, help her. I know the pain she's feeling. I know the pain of being different and not being accepted by other people. Help her remove the mask and reveal the true her. Help her realize hurting people for revenge won't make things better. I used to think just like that when I was suffering, but realized things would only get worse."

Yusei eyed me intensively before he put his other hand on mine. "I promise, Estelle. That's exactly what I was thinking about before you came here." He squeezed my hand before letting it go and reached for his pocket to pull out his Stardust Dragon. "I have no other choice but to use Stardust Dragon for the Duel and show Akiza that those with the Marks are connected. We're supposed to be a team and we have to work together." He added Stardust Dragon to his Deck.

I smiled gently before I thought out something. "Yusei, I'm not sure what kind of power I possess with my own Mark." I pulled up the sleeve of my shirt to reveal my pentagram Mark. "But I will try reducing the pain you might feel during the Duel and also calm down Akiza's power so she won't cause a total destruction."

"You think you'll be able to handle it?" Yusei asked with worried eyes.

I nodded, "I hope so."

A cough from behind interrupted us. We looked up to see a functionary stand in front of the couch. "Yusei Fudo, it's time for your Duel."

"Thanks", Yusei nodded before putting on his Duel Disk with his Deck and stood up.

"Good luck out there, and be careful", I told him.

Yusei nodded, "Make sure you don't strain yourself if you can use your power."

"I promise", I replied.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The Duel was getting intense for each minute. Akiza was about to Tribute summon Rose Tentacles when I felt my heart sting again. I clutched my jacket once again as I gasped for air.

"_**Calm down, Mistress.**_"

"_**Inti, she's not truly aware of her powers yet.**_"

I looked up to see the transparent spirits of Moon Dragon Quilla and Sun Dragon Inti in front of me. I gasped loudly, happy that I was all alone in the lounge. "You two?! B-But how...?"

Moon Dragon Quilla giggled, "_**It's a part of your powers, Mistress.**_"

"_**Remember how I was still out on the field after the Duel with Greiger and your Duel Disk wasn't activated, Mistress?**_" Sun Dragon Inti asked me.

"Yes...?" I nodded.

"_**It is because you have similar power as Akiza by making us Duel Monsters turn into real beings and use your other cards to activate different effects**_", Quilla explained.

"_**Just as you have part of Luna's power to see our spirits and communicate with us**_", Inti added.

"But... It doesn't explain why I can feel Akiza's pain... If that's what I'm actually feeling", I mumbled.

"_**It's because your Mark have an emotional connection to the humans who carry the Mark of the Dragon**_", Inti explained.

*_Så jag har ett emotionellt band mellan alla Signers... __Det förklarar allt. (So I have an emotional bond between all Signers... That explains everything.)_*

I glanced down at my Duel Disk that was settled on the table in front of me. My Deck was glowing in a silver color, like it was calling to me. I reached for my Deck and pulled it out to see only two cards were glowing. I pulled them out and saw it was my twin dragons.

"_**We will give your power a slight boost when you will reduce the pain of Yusei's and the power of Akiza's**_", Quilla told me.

"_**Which I believe it will be soon**_", Inti turned to the screen.

I turned my eyes at the screen just when Rose Tentacles had destroyed Yusei's Turret Warrior. I quickly put my Deck on the table and held Quilla and Inti's cards in each hand. The cards were still glowing, but in different colors. Quilla's card glowed light blue as Inti's glowed orange.

"_**I will help you remove Yusei's pain with my burning warmth**_", Inti told me.

"_**And I will disable Akiza's power of destruction as much as I can with my gentle coldness**_", Quilla said.

I nodded and closed my eye to concentrate on my power. I felt my right arm burn, but it wasn't by pain. It felt warm and gentle. When I felt I made a process, I opened my eyes and looked at the Duel, not noticing my eyes had turned into crimson.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Rose Tentacles's special ability had been activated at Akiza's command. Rose Tentacles destroyed one of Yusei's four Ivy Tokens before wrapping its vine around his right arm.

**Akiza: 4000**

**Yusei: 3900 – 3300**

"Here's one more! Attack!" Akiza commanded.

Rose Tentacles destroyed another Ivy Token on Yusei's field and wrapped its other vine around the young man's right leg.

**Akiza: 4000**

**Yusei: 3300 – 2700**

Yusei grunted when he felt the thorns sting into his leg, but it didn't hurt as bad as he first thought.

Akiza noticed Yusei wasn't suffering by pain as she thought he would. "You're not giving in yet? Well, maybe this will change your mind!"

Rose Tentacles continued its assault, destroying the third Ivy Token on Yusei's field and wrapping its third vine around the boy's left leg.

**Akiza: 4000**

**Yusei: 2700 – 2100**

*_I don't even think she cares about winning..._*, Yusei thought as he struggled against the thorny vines. *_There's something else driving her. I know the world has been cruel to you because of the Mark you have, Akiza. But you have to realize that retaliating won't do anybody any good._*

Akiza panted by the emotional storm in her heart. "I'm gonna enjoy this. Now, ATTACK!"

Rose Tentacles cleaned Yusei's field by destroying his last Ivy Token and wrapped its fourth vine around the man's torso, lifting him up in the air.

"Look at you up there! Hopeless and alone!" Akiza shouted. "No one can help you, and no one wants to! Now you know what it feels to be me in this cruel, cold world!"

Yusei grunted when he noticed a smile on Akiza's lips, making him realize the sad truth. *_She's smiling. She actually enjoys my pain!_*

Rose Tentacles shifted its vines and was about to throw down Yusei roughly on the stage when it suddenly slowed down its fast movement. Everyone, including Yusei and Akiza, noticed the sudden change as the Rose Tentacles removed its vines from Yusei's arm and legs while the Duel Monster was enveloped in a light blue aura and Yusei in an orange one.

"What's this? What kind of tricks are you playing with, Yusei?!" Akiza growled. "Rose Tentacles, show him some pain!"

But Rose Tentacles disobeyed its mistress's orders. It lowered Yusei down to the stage and removed its vine when Yusei was standing on his feet again. It only gave Yusei a small slap on his back.

**Akiza: 4000**

**Yusei: 2100 – 1500**

Yusei took a look at his right hand, seeing the orange aura that enveloped him and gave him warmth before it slowly disappeared. *_What was that glow around me and Akiza's Rose Tentacles?_* He gasped mentally when he remembered Estelle's words that she would try use her power to protect him and reduce the power of Akiza's destruction. *_Estelle... She really used her power... Now it's time for me to take this Duel seriously...to help Akiza._*

Yusei turned to Akiza. "Akiza, I want to help you. I want to be your friend, and I'm gonna use every card I have to prove it to you." He drew a card from his Deck. "I'll start by playing Shield Warrior in defense mode." Yusei's Monster appeared at the field in front of him.

**Shield Warrior, Level 3: DEF 1600**

Akiza looked like a madwoman as her breathing became heavy and her smile turned to insanity which Yusei obviously noticed.

"Next I place two cards face-down and end my turn", the young man finished his turn. "I think I understand it now what makes you tick, Akiza. Because of all the people have put you through, you _enjoy_ it."

"Enjoy what?" Akiza spat.

"You enjoy people's misery. You like how it makes people feel. You like how it makes _you _feel."

Akiza just smiled with her maniac lips. "You're right. And for the rest of this Duel, I _really_ plan on enjoying myself."

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I stopped my power for a moment to catch my breath. I wasn't used to this power, meaning I needed time to adjust myself mentally. My two dragons were still next to me in their transparent forms, watching the screen.

"_**Akiza is slowly losing control**_", Quilla commented.

"_**I don't think it's our calming aura she needs, sister**_", Inti said. "_**She needs to hear the right words and speak out her heart from all the suffering she had endured with during her childhood.**_"

I grunted in pain when I felt Akiza's pain sting inside my heart once again, but it was getting stronger for each second. I put my twin dragons' cards in my Deck and stood up slowly to then strap on the Duel Disk on my left arm.

"_**Mistress?**_" Inti asked.

"_**Where are you going?**_" Quilla wondered.

"O-Out t-to the stage...", I breathed heavily. "I-I need t-to s-stop Akiza..."

"_**Not in your condition, Mistress!**_" Quilla gasped.

"_**She has to, sister!**_" Inti retorted. "_**Maybe Akiza truly needs to feel physical warmth and the right words at the same time. You know Mistress and Akiza have a bond since yesterday.**_"

I stumbled out from the lounge and had to lean against the wall with my left hand to keep my balance and not fall down. The spirits of the twin dragons followed me from behind, still arguing.

I clutched my jacket when the pain got insane. I turned my back to the wall and gasped loudly, grunting in pain.

"S-Stop... A-Akiza...", I panted.

"_**Mistress...**_", Quilla whimpered.

"_**You can overcome the pain, Mistress!**_" Inti encouraged me. "_**Don't focus on it!**_"

I nodded and regained my breath when I stopped concentrating on the pain. I straightened up and continued walking slowly through the corridor. My mind was focused on stopping Akiza and show her how much I cared about her.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I was close to the stage just when I saw Stardust Dragon and Black Rose Dragon dissipate into thin air. Akiza, with her half-destroyed mask, was rabbling lots of nonsense before I took a deep breath and rushed out to the stage and embraced her from behind, my arms locking around her collarbone. "Stop it, Akiza!"

Akiza gasped in pure surprise at my action. "Estelle...?"

Yusei's eyes widened as the audience got astonished to see me out at the stage holding Akiza.

I cried bitter tears as my grip on Akiza got a bit stronger in case she would try to shake me off. "Akiza, please listen... I know the feeling of being an outcast myself. I got bullied day in and day out in the elementary school because I was, still am, different from other people. I also wanted revenge, show no mercy to the bullies, but I learned it would only cause more anger and hate and make the situation worse... But I did find a few friends who accepted me for who I was... Just like how I accepted _you_, Akiza! Don't push away the people who can see the real you and accept you! Don't push away me or Yusei because we understand you! We want to help you!"

I could feel Akiza's body shake in anguish as I tried to send her warmth through our Marks. I looked over Akiza's shoulder to meet eyes with Yusei. "Yusei, end the Duel."

"What...? But, Estelle, if I activate my face-down-", Yusei started.

"End the Duel right now!" I shouted a bit irritated.

Yusei nodded hesitantly. "I activate the face-down Cosmic Blast. Since Stardust Dragon left the field, you lose Life Points for all of its attack points. You would've seen it coming if you weren't hiding behind that mask."

A transparent spirit of Stardust Dragon appeared before he blew the leftover wind towards Akiza which hit her mask and made it fall off.

**Akiza: 1900 – 0**

**Yusei: 400**

I felt the air ruffle my hair as Akiza went slowly down on her knees, me following her as I kept my arms around her collarbone. The girl turned around in my arms and showed me her pure tears in her eyes before she collapsed on me. I held her close to me as I caressed her hair and let her sob on my chest.

"I'm sorry...", Akiza sobbed. "I'm sorry..."

I hushed her gently and whispered in her ear. "It's okay, Aki. Let it out because it shows you're a human being with feelings. If you were a witch or a monster, you wouldn't be able to express your feelings."

Akiza's sobs got even stronger as she hugged me tighter. I rocked her gently as I softly hummed a melody I came up with.

I stopped humming when I heard footsteps approach us. I looked up and saw Sayer walk over to us holding his coat.

"It's time to go home, Akiza", Sayer said as he draped his coat around the girl, making her look up with running tears and an exhausting expression. "Don't worry. You did your best. Next time you'll do better."

I helped Akiza stand up, putting a hand on her backside. She gripped Sayer's coat before she turned to me. "B-Be my f-friend, E-Estelle..." Her voice was shaking by the sobbing.

I nodded before hugging her gently, feeling her hands grip my clothes desperately. "Yes, Aki... I am your friend, just as you are mine."

Akiza let go of me before she left with Sayer. I only noticed by then the whole stadium had stayed silent ever since the end of the Duel.

"_The winner of the Duel is Yusei Fudo! He'll be moving on to the final!_" the MC broke the silence.

I was a bit absent-minded, but I didn't jump when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Yusei looking at me worriedly. I was too tired mentally and just leant my head against his shoulder.


	11. Explanation

**Only parts of the Duel between Estelle and Yusei.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 11: Explanation**

Yusei and I received ten minutes rest before we would have the final Duel. I was still exhausted from the powers I used during Yusei and Akiza's Duel and the emotional aftermath.

We were both in the lounge with Tanner, Leo and Luna. They were worried about us because of the last Duel.

"That was really reckless of you to rush out to the arena, Estelle!" Tanner scolded me. "Who knew if the Black Rose had hurt you?!"

I drank a can of juice before I replied with an angry expression. "First of all, Tanner; her name is Akiza, _not_ Black Rose. Secondly, her power wouldn't have bitten on me."

"What do you mean, Estelle?" Leo asked.

Luna and Yusei remained quietly in the background.

"Remember when we encountered Akiza back at the Daimon Area?" I said. "When she used her power, it didn't affect me at all. I didn't get pushed away when she used the card that made the beacon of light appear."

Leo crossed his arms as he pondered about that day before he gasped in realization. "Hey, that's right! I remember it now! You were the only one standing at that time!"

I nodded as I picked out my Deck from my Duel Disk and looked through the cards. I had customized it after the last Duel, so I thought it would do well against Yusei.

"So... It's you two in the final Duel", Tanner changed the topic. "Are you two going to use your ace dragons?"

Yusei and I exchanged a glance before we turned back to Tanner.

"I'll try Synchro summoning it out if Yusei calls out Stardust Dragon", I said.

"I'll only Synchro summoning Stardust if the situation would end up excitedly", Yusei said.

"Wow! I can't wait to see Estelle's secret dragon! I bet it's gonna be totally cool!" Leo shouted excitedly.

Tanner arched an eyebrow at the boy. "You mean you twins haven't seen the gal's ace dragon yet?"

"No, because Estelle wants to keep it as a secret", Luna said.

Tanner laughed, "You really like to keep surprises, don't you, gal?"

I smiled gently. "Yep."

Tanner looked at Yusei. "You think you're ready to face her surprises, Yusei?"

Yusei smirked, "We'll see."

Tanner and the twins left, but not before Luna cast us a worried glance. I gave her a small smile, assuring her we would be fine out there at the arena.

I put back my Deck in the Duel Disk and put it on my arm as Yusei adjusted his own. "Ready, Yusei?"

Yusei smiled, "Ready when you are."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I was under stage and waited to be elevated while I heard the MC shout excitedly.

"_Yeah! It's finally here! The Fortune Cup Final! Now entering the arena for the final Duel, an unknown woman who shines like a star, New Domino City's Shining Star! Estelle Malmström!_"

I was elevated onto the stage as some new fans of mine shouted encouraging words to me. I waved slightly to the audience with a smile.

"_And challenging her is the Shooting Star from the Satellite Sector! Yusei Fudo!_"

Yusei was elevated onto the stage at the other side of the arena. We both shared a smile as we waited for the MC's command.

"_And now, get ready for the final Duel of the Fortune Cup!_"

"Let's do this!" Yusei and I shouted as we both drew our first five cards from our Decks.

**Estelle: 4000**

**Yusei: 4000**

"Ladies first", Yusei said.

"Thank you, you're such a gentleman", I said teasingly, drawing a card.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Goodwin got contacted once again by Zigzix who was a bit excited.

"_Director Goodwin, my detector had caught another signal coming from the female Duelist straight after the last Duel with the Black Rose!_"

"Only at the end again? Not _during_ the Duel?" Goodwin arched an eyebrow.

"_Strangely not. It's like the hidden power of Estelle's is only activating when she gets extremely emotional inside her heart._"

"Then could you explain what those two auras were when the Black Rose's Rose Tentacles was about to throw Yusei?" Goodwin questioned.

"_I'm...not entirely sure yet, Director. I'm still working on finding out that mysterious energy._"

"What about Yusei Fudo during the second semifinal? Did you detect anything?" Lazar interrupted, stepping up next to Goodwin.

Zigzix got a huge smile. "_Ah, yes! I almost forgot about it! I did not only detect the power of Crimson Dragon from Akiza Izinski but also from Yusei Fudo!_"

"Excellent, that means four down and one to go, or should I say _two_ to go?" Lazar chuckled.

Jack didn't focus on the conversation. He had his eyes on the Duel between his old friend and the female Duelist. He had to confess; Estelle seemed to be a great Duelist, but he hoped she would do what he asked for and lose against Yusei on purpose.

Just then, Yusei's Stardust Dragon appeared on the arena, roaring in happiness to be out again by his master's side.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

Yusei had Synchro summoned Stardust Dragon sooner than I thought. So far, we have been mostly "fooling around", but now I guess it was time to turn up the heat a little.

"I place one card face-down and end my turn", Yusei said.

**Estelle: 2600**

**Yusei: 2900**

The field looked like this; Yusei had two face-downs including the one he just had placed and had Stardust Dragon on the field. I had three face-downs; Divine Wrath, Dark Bribe and Dust Tornado, and had Star Seraph Sword which I managed to keep on the field for a few rounds now since I had been low on Monsters.

"My turn then", I drew a card.

I checked my hand, having Ego Boost, Raigeki Break, Gallis the Star Beast and the new card I just drawn; Galaxy Serpent.

"I summon the Tuner Monster Galaxy Serpent", I played said card.

A beautiful blue light appeared in front of me as it flew around me before it materialized to reveal the dragon made by the light of every galaxy in the universe.

**Galaxy Serpent, Level 2: ATK 1000**

Galaxy Serpent cooed as she rubbed her muzzle against my cheek, making me smile and giggle at the affection, before flying next to Star Seraph Sword.

"I guess you're going for a Synchro summon?" Yusei asked with a small smile.

"How did you know, Mister?" I said with a jokingly voice. "I tune in Galaxy Serpent with Star Seraph Sword." Galaxy Serpent started to glow stronger as she and Star Seraph Sword shot up to the sky before merging together into my third Synchro dragon.

"Come forth, the guardian of the Asian Gods... Orient Dragon!"

A green tornado appeared in the middle of the stage as there was a curled shadow in the middle. The dragon's eyes opened to glow green before it roared and the wind in the tornado was cut. Orient Dragon spread his wings open and roared proudly.

**Orient Dragon, Level 6: ATK 2300**

"_Is someone else getting a déjà vu, 'cause I feel like the real action will soon happen_", the MC said a bit worriedly.

I saw Yusei glance at Orient Dragon with an arched eyebrow, wondering if Orient Dragon really was my ace dragon. "That's not my ace dragon if you're wondering." The man looked surprised. "My strongest dragon is a bit complicated to Synchro summon, and I didn't have any other choice but Synchro summon this dragon."

"It's okay, but I've never seen this dragon before", Yusei confessed.

"Then get ready for Orient Dragon's special ability", I warned him. "When Orient Dragon is Synchro summoned, I can target one of my opponent's Synchro Monsters on the field and remove it from play."

Orient Dragon controlled the wind as he was about to take out Stardust Dragon when Yusei smirked. "I activate Stardust Dragon's special ability! By sacrificing my dragon, I can stop your Monster's special ability and take it along to the Graveyard!"

I smirked, "You fell into my trap! I activate my face-down Divine Wrath!" Said Trap card was flipped up. "In case you don't remember its effect, let me refresh your memory. I have to discard a card from my hand..." I put Raigeki Break in the Graveyard. "...to then target your dragon to negate its special ability _and_ destroy it!"

A big thundercloud appeared above Stardust Dragon before a lightning struck the beautiful dragon and destroyed it. The audience gasped when the star dragon had left the field.

"This means I can't bring back Stardust Dragon since his special ability was negated...", Yusei mumbled.

"Sorry about that", I apologized. "But I thought it was time to turn up the heat since you Synchro summoned Stardust Dragon."

Yusei's shocked expression changed into a slight playful one. "That's true, and I can tell you things are far from over."

"I'm looking forward to see what you got planned", I smiled. "I hope you're ready for my next trick. I reveal my Monster Gallis the Star Beast in my hand to activate his special ability." I held up said card to show it to Yusei. "Now, I get to send the top card of my Deck to the Graveyard, and if it's a Monster, I can inflict damage to you equal to that Monster's Level multiply 200 and then Special summon Gallis from my hand. If the top card is _not_ a Monster, I have to discard Gallis the Star Beast to the Graveyard." I put back Gallis the Star Beast in my hand to draw the top card of my Deck and look at the card. "I hate to say this, but today might be your unlucky day, Yusei, because the top card is Luster Dragon." I showed him the card before discarding it. "This means I can Special summon Gallis the Star Beast and give you 800 points of direct damage since Luster Dragon is a Level 4 Monster."

**Gallis the Star Beast, Level 3: ATK 800**

Gallis the Star Beast appeared on the field as soon as I played it and sent a shockwave of his roar at Yusei who looked quite calm.

"I activate my face-down Card Defense!" Yusei flipped up said Trap card. "By discarding a card from my hand, I can negate your Monster's attack and then draw a new card to replace the one I sent to the Graveyard!"

"I counter back by activating my second face-down Dark Bribe!" I flipped up said Trap card. "Your Trap card's effect is negated and destroyed, but you get to draw a card." I could see Yusei glare at me as he drew a card from his Deck.

The shield that had been around Yusei was gone and Gallis's roar reached him to deal 800 direct damage.

**Estelle: 2600**

**Yusei: 2900 – 2100**

"_Whoa! Talk about a heated fight, and we're _still_ in the first Main Phase!_" the MC commented.

"I must say you're really strong for having so many simple Spell and Trap cards, and yet can create such powerful defense", Yusei said.

"Thank you", I smiled at the compliment. "That's how I prefer my own Deck; simple yet strong. And now I activate my third and last face-down Dust Tornado!" I flipped up the Trap card. "I can target one of your Trap cards on your field and destroy it."

A tornado came out from my Trap card and hit Yusei's other face-down, revealing the Trap card Descending Lost Star.

*_That was a close one..._*, I sighed in relief. "I'm sorry for doing this to you, Yusei, but I guess it's the end now. Orient Dragon, attack with Aura Sphere!"

Orient Dragon flew up in the air and held the pose as Lucario when that Pokémon used Aura Sphere. A ball of green aura appeared between the claws of my dragon and roared when he threw it at Yusei. The young man shielded his face with his right arm as the Aura Sphere hit him and caused his Life Points to drop to zero.

**Estelle: 2600**

**Yusei: 2100 – 0**

"_It's over! We have the challenger who will go against Jack Atlas in the final Duel! Estelle Malmström!_" the MC shouted.

To tell the truth, I was actually surprised that I even defeated Yusei, but going against Jack...was beyond my imagination.

Orient Dragon roared in victory before dissipating when my Duel Disk went offline. I saw Yusei having a slightly disappointed expression while I walked towards him.

"Yusei?" I called worriedly.

Said man looked at me with an assuring smile. "I guess I can't save my friends now..."

"Don't say that", I told him. "You can still talk to Goodwin and threaten him to release your friends."

Yusei nodded, "That's true..."

I smiled warmly. "By the way... Think you can give me some advice about Jack's strategy?"

"From what I remember, he relies on power", Yusei replied. "Get rid of that and you'll have the chance to win the Duel."

I nodded, "I'll remember that." I held out my right hand. "And thank you for the Duel we just had."

Yusei smiled before grabbing my hand. "Likewise."

We smiled at each other as I tried to calm down my rapid-beating heart when we heard running footsteps approach us. We turned around, releasing each other's hands, to see we were surrounded by men in black suits.

"Miss Malmström. Director Goodwin wants to see you", one of them spoke up.

I blinked confusedly. "What for?"

None of the men replied on my question. Instead, the biggest one grabbed my right wrist and started pulling me away from the arena.

I was about to protest when I realized where this was going. I turned around to see Yusei trying to reach me, but the other men in black suits blocked his way.

"Yusei, get the others out of here!" I shouted.

"But-", Yusei started.

"I'll be fine! Save yourself and the others!"

Yusei must have heard the desperation tone I had put in my voice because he nodded and rushed to the stands. I watched him run up the stairs when I was dragged back to the corridor to get to the Ivory Tower.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Yusei wanted to go save Estelle, but after hearing her voice telling him to get the others out of the Kaiba Dome he had no other choice but to listen to the young woman.

"Guys!" Yusei called the group. "Listen, you have to get Luna out of here!"

"Yusei, Luna's got a Mark! She's a Signer like you!" Yanagi gasped.

"That's why you need to get her out of here, like now!" Yusei replied. "I'm thinking it's dangerous for us Signers to be near each other. Look at what happened during my Duel with Akiza." He gestured at the destroyed seats close to the group.

"Yusei, do you know what's going on here?" Luna asked with a scared voice.

"I'll tell you what I find out after I see Goodwin, but for now head to Blister's place. And don't stop for anyone!"

With that said, Yusei rushed down the stairs to help Estelle, leaving the others to handle the situation on their own.

Yanagi noticed the children looked really worried. "I'm sure everything's going to be okay. We better do what he says, kids. Follow me and stay close behind."

The group went to the halls when they were suddenly stopped by other men in black suits.

"Stop right there!"

Leo, Luna and Dexter hugged each other for comfort as Lazar walked up to the group. "You weren't planning to leave, were you?" the clown asked.

"And what if we were?" Tanner snorted.

"Well, Director Goodwin would like you to stay and enjoy the rest of the tournament", Lazar said while laughing.

"Well, you tell Goodwin that we're sick of him telling people what to do!" Tanner retorted angrily as he grabbed the collar of Lazar's coat.

"Say, did you know that Yusei has friends back at the Satellite Sector?" Lazar asked, making Tanner gasp in surprise before releasing the little man. "I heard that they went missing a few days ago. I hope nothing _bad_ happens to them. So I think it would be best if you returned to your seats now."

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

The man in black suit had let go of my wrist and let me walk with another man behind me, watching over me in case I wanted to run. But I didn't. I needed to speak with Goodwin and Jack, telling the egoistic boy a few things.

We stepped into the elevator and went up to the Ivory Tower where Goodwin was expecting me. When the door opened, we walked in and then the men in black suits went back to the elevator when Goodwin dismissed them. Jack was standing and looking out through the big windows, having his back turned to me as the director walked over to me. Surprisingly, Mina was there too, giving Jack some refreshment.

"A pleasure to finally meet you in person, Miss Malmström", Goodwin greeted with a smile, which I could see at once it was fake. "I'd like to congratulate for your glorious victory and winning the chance to go against our Jack Atlas."

Jack just snorted, not even giving me a glance. Mina glanced worriedly at me. I noticed that and gave her a small assuring smile.

I turned to Goodwin with a poker face. "But I think you have other reasons for bringing me here than just to congratulate me. _What_ is it?"

Before Goodwin could reply, we heard the elevator open and someone stepped into the tower. I turned around to see Officer Trudge walk over to Goodwin. He gave me a side glance before bowing to the director.

"Director, look, sir, there's something I've gotta say", Trudge said, getting Goodwin's attention. "It's my official position that you need to stop this tournament."

"I thought your official position was mall security", Goodwin commented.

"Very funny, but I feel this tournament is cursed or something", Trudge added. "You witnessed the damage of the Duel between that Satellite-scum and the Black Rose. I'm concerned things are gonna get worse!"

I glared at the officer when he called my two friends by those nicknames. He could have used their real names for once.

"Officer, I don't pay you to be concerned", Goodwin retorted.

"But, sir-"

"I pay you to do what I _say_. And as for what you think, if I was going to pay someone to do some thinking, it most certainly would not be you. Langly, please escort Officer Trudge out."

"Is Langly one of the guys guarding the door?"

We all turned around to see Yusei standing by the elevator with a serious expression.

"Yusei!" Trudge gasped in shock.

"'Cause he's..._napping_", Yusei said.

Trudge glared at the young man. "What're you doing up here, punk?!"

"That's enough", Goodwin said as two guards came out of nowhere. "How can I help you, Yusei?"

"Before I say, weren't you gonna throw _him_ out?" Yusei referred to the officer.

Trudge grabbed Yusei's jacket and was about to punch him when the guards grabbed the officer and pulled him to the elevator.

"That's it, Goodwin!" Trudge shouted furiously. "I'm gonna figure out what you're up to! You're going down! You're gonna-" The doors of the elevator closed with a ding, making the whole room go into a uncomfortable silence.

I couldn't help but hold back a small laugh at the scene Trudge made. It was even harder to resist it than in the anime. But, luckily, I collected myself before anyone could notice my behavior.

"Time to talk", Yusei went straight to the point. "You forced me into this tournament. You threatened me and you locked up my friends." I stepped up to him to stand next to him, giving him support. "I want to know the truth. I'm not letting Estelle Duel against Jack until you tell me why you've done this!"

That last sentence made me look at Yusei in surprise. But then again, it wasn't him who was going against Jack this time.

"Hah!" Jack snorted, making all of us look at him. "Are you dense, Yusei?" He pulled off his glove to show his Mark. "It's because of this! This Mark!"

Yusei gasped, "So I wasn't seeing things before!"

"He wants the Crimson Dragon's power. So he's been trying to gather everyone with its Mark, and he also wanted to see if Miss Who's-not-supposed-to-exist has a connection to the Signers. He got me here by lying to me and buttering me up and manipulated me."

"Oh, come on", Goodwin said with a grin. "You're making me sound so devious. Jack, you wanted to be the Turbo Duel Champion."

Jack glared at the director. "Yeah, but I wanted to _earn_ that title. At this point, I'm starting to think that you've been rigging everything. I think your little plan involves setting me up as bait for Yusei." That made Yusei glare at the blonde man. "Goodwin knew that you would come after me if I did everything exactly as he asked me to. Isn't that right, Director?"

"Don't be ridiculous", Goodwin retorted. "I didn't even know about Yusei until you Dueled him that night in the arena."

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that it was all just some big coincidence?" Jack retorted. "You needed to verify that Yusei had a Mark, so that you needed him and I to Duel with passion. So you created a situation at which the stakes would be as high as possible."

Jack then began explaining everything from the very beginning. How Rally owed him for saving his life two years ago, and how he met Lazar who said that Goodwin could offer him great things, and how he kidnapped Rally in order to steal Yusei's old Duel Runner and Stardust Dragon.

I never commented at the story, but I still felt this burning fire to make the egoistic man open his eyes and heart to see how much he had overlooked because of his selfish needs.

"Goodwin would never have made you the same offer because you would never leave your friends behind", Jack glanced at Yusei. "Not for fame and fortune anyway. I, on the other hand, walked right into it, and by tricking me into taking your card, he gave you a reason to come after me. And I think that brings us all up to speed more or less." He put his glove back on and turned to Goodwin. "I have a demand to make. You got what you wanted. He's here, right? Let his friends go. He doesn't need to be coerced. I wanted this Duel to be legit. No threats, no gimmicks."

Goodwin still had his creepy smile on his lips. "If that is what my champion wants, then so be it."

Jack nodded before turning to Yusei, "By the way, Yusei, I think we made a personal deal before, right? If you win, you'd keep your Stardust Dragon. But you actually lost during the final Duel, so you can hand me over your dragon right now."

I stepped in front of Yusei, blocking Jack's view. I just glared at Jack, feeling the anger burn more inside my heart.

"You've got it quite hard with your egoistical side, Jack", I growled. "You let your stupid pride take over yourself and push your closest friends away from you. Just like my half-brother who pushed away our mother. What do you know about _feelings_? How do you think Yusei felt when you stole Stardust Dragon?" Jack arched an eyebrow. "You think Yusei sees Stardust just as a valuable card? No. Stardust Dragon is a part of him, just like how Red Dragon Archfiend is a part of you, Jack Atlas! And Black Rose Dragon is a part of Akiza. The dragons represent their masters! How would you feel like if someone stole Red Dragon Archfiend from you?" Jack's eyes widened at that question. "You'd feel devastated and think you're weak because you always rely on your dragon."

I turned around and walked to the elevator, holding out my arm to guide the silent Yusei. I felt Jack's heated glare bore holes on my backside, but I ignored it. Once we were inside the elevator, I looked over my shoulder and glared at Jack, feeling my eye burn a little.

"I'm warning you, Jack. I _will_ make you open your eyes and heart during our Duel and make you realize all the mistakes you've done to your friends."

That was the last thing I said when the doors to the elevator closed with a ding.


	12. Fortune Cup Finale

**Quite note! I know many cards in the anime have their own "rules", but I will go with the original special abilities, such as "****Red Dragon Vase****".**

**Real card version:**** If you control a "Red Dragon Archfiend": Draw 2 cards. You cannot Normal or Special Summon monsters the turn you activate this card, and until the end of your opponent's turn after this card is activated.**

**Anime version:**** Activate only while you control a face-up "Red Dragon Archfiend". Draw 2 cards.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 12: Fortune Cup Finale**

Yusei and I were silent as the elevator went down. Once we got out we went to the lounge so I could change my Deck before the final Duel with Jack. I was still asking myself where I got all the confidence once again when I confronted the blonde man. But I was still angry when I thought about him acting just like my egoistical big brother.

My brother never cared about our mother or me! His own half-sibling! It hurt very much to know I had a big brother who didn't even care about me, even though we had a big age difference, but I was an adult now. It didn't matter to him. He only cared about himself and tried acting like he was someone big.

"Estelle? Are you okay?" Yusei asked a bit worriedly.

I looked from my Deck and saw him looking at me with concern. The rage of the thoughts about Jack and my brother must have been reflecting in my eyes.

"Not really", I replied and turned my attention back on my Deck. "Jack reminds me too much about my own big brother who never cared about me or our mother." I let out a deep sigh, trying to let go of the anger. "It's nothing I can do about it. People can't really change… But only when they desperately want to."

"It sounds like your brother is even worse than Jack", Yusei commented.

"You have no idea…", I mumbled.

I finished rebuilding my Deck and put it in my Duel Disk. I zipped close my bag and held it to Yusei. "I have a feeling things might turn up a bit catastrophic, so I think it's best if you take my bag. I won't have any chances to rush back and fetch it."

Yusei nodded, "Okay." He took my bag as I stood up and adjusted my Duel Disk on my arm.

A functionary walked over to us. "Miss Estelle? I received orders to escort you to the arena."

"Okay", I nodded and turned to Yusei. "Look after the others during the Duel, okay?"

"I will, and good luck", Yusei told me.

"Thanks", I smiled lightly.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"_The time has come!_" the MC shouted. "_The final showdown is about to begin! New Domino City's Shining Star, Estelle Malmström, has won the chance to take on Jack Atlas!_"

I was elevated up to the stage, my hair tied into a high ponytail, as people shouted encouraging words to me. When Jack was elevated to the stage, girls began screaming with their fangirl voices, making me wish to cover my ears by the high frequency. The girls told him to beat me hard because I was looking so plain and cast devil words on me that I was not beautiful and come back when I become a real woman.

I used to think about myself that I was not beautiful or didn't deserve to have any friends. But now I learned to love myself and always thought people who called me by such words weren't worth my time. I also found new friends in this dimension who accepted me for me.

I looked up at the stands and saw Yusei sit down by our group, telling them whatever he told them about.

"Are you happy?" Jack made me snap out of my thoughts. "You have the chance to Duel me, Ms. Who's-not-supposed-to-exist."

"I wouldn't use the word "happy" about this case", I retorted. "And I _do_ have a name, Jack!"

"Why so upset by that nickname? I think it suits you since you don't belong in this world", Jack smirked.

Good thing they didn't turn on the mics yet, so the whole dome couldn't hear our conversation.

"Jack-"

"I don't know why Goodwin is so interested in you, but if you are connected to the Signers, then our Duel might also reveal the fifth Signer."

I put on my poker face, changing the subject. "This Duel is right now not about the Signers, Jack. Remember the words I told you? I will make you open your eyes and heart and make you realize what you've truly done to your friends _and_ yourself."

Jack growled, "Enough talk! Let's get this game on!"

"Gladly!" I replied.

"_This is the moment! Will Jack Atlas continue to reign as the King of Games? Or will he be dethroned by New Domino City's Shining Star? It's time to find out!_" the MC said. "_Activate your Duel Disks!_"

Jack and I held up our left arms with our Duel Disks and activated them.

"Let's Duel!"

We both drew five cards from our respective Decks.

**Jack: 4000**

**Estelle: 4000**

"The champion first! I draw!" Jack drew his sixth card.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

It didn't go so well for me. Jack had Synchro summoned Red Dragon Archfiend and had taken out Moon Dragon Quilla during his Battle Phase. My Life Points dropped with 500 since none of us had used any Spell cards to give our dragons a boost.

**Jack: 3200**

**Estelle: 1600 – 1100**

I still had a Monster face-down on the field and two Trap cards face-down as well, one of them being Dark Bribe and the other one Impenetrable Attack. The cards I had in my hand were Schwarzschild Limit Dragon, Poison of the Old Man and Blustering Winds.

I looked up for a moment to see dark clouds gathering in the sky. I grimaced, knowing the Crimson Dragon was soon going to appear. I could feel the dragon's presence with my Star Mark.

"I play the Spell Red Dragon Vase!" Jack played said card. "I can only activate its effect when I have Red Dragon Archfiend on the field. This allows to me to draw two cards from my Deck, but I can't summon any Monsters the turn I activate it, and until the end of your next turn. A small price to pay. And I end my turn by throwing a face-down."

I was wondering if Jack was just playing around with me. Or was he giving me time to Synchro summon my ace dragon in order to summon the Crimson Dragon to the Kaiba Dome?

And Jack had only one face-down, but I could always counter back when he would activate it.

"My turn. I draw", I drew a new card.

I turned it around and sighed in relief. I got the card I needed!

"Okay, Jack, time to show you what the power of the stars is", I said. "Since you've got a Monster that has more than 2000 attack points, I can Special summon Schwarzschild Limit Dragon to the field!"

A long brown dragon appeared in front of me, exposing his teeth to Red Dragon Archfiend.

**Schwarzschild Limit Dragon, Level 8: ATK 2000**

"And next I Normal summon the Tuner Monster Vylon Stella!" I placed my latest card on the Duel Disk.

A light appeared next to my dragon as it formed my favorite Tuner Monster, shining like a bright star.

**Vylon Stella, Level 3: ATK 1400**

"Wait a second... That Tuner is a Level 3 and your Schwar-whatever dragon is a Level 8...", Jack mumbled before his eyes widened in realization. "You're not gonna-"

"I am, Jack", I said. "I tune in Vylon Stella with Schwarzschild Limit Dragon." Said Monsters glowed before they shot up to the sky, glowing stronger than ever during a Synchro summoning.

The air around me got intense with powerful winds as a bright light appeared above me, the scene reminding me of Akiza whenever she Synchro summoned Black Rose Dragon. A large fireball that looked like the sun appeared above me before there was a roar coming from the flaming orb.

"Come forth, the ruler of the stars, the emperor of the dragons... STAR EATER!"

A large dragon broke through the flaming orb and roared so loudly that the whole dome shook by the strength. The dragon spread out his wings and let the small flames rain down around us.

**Star Eater, Level 11: ATK 3200**

I could swear I saw Jack's eyes widen in shock at the sight of Star Eater and even Red Dragon Archfiend flinched in fear.

"_Unbelievable!_" the MC shouted. "_This is one of the biggest moments in my whole life! We're witnessing a Level 11 Synchro Monster! One of the few rumored Monsters that's said that only a few chosen can control!_"

Just then my Mark began glowing along with my eyes burning, but strangely there was no pain.

"My arm's glowing!" Jack shouted to me.

I said nothing as I felt the Crimson Dragon approach us from the sky.

"_**Are you ready, Priestess?**_" the voice of Crimson Dragon spoke in my head.

"Yes...", I whispered.

Straight after my answer, a flash of red lightning struck down into the arena between Star Eater and Red Dragon Archfiend.

"Here it comes...", I mumbled.

The Crimson Dragon roared once his body had materialized between Star Eater and Red Dragon Archfiend who were flying in the air.

"The Crimson Dragon!" I heard Yusei scream from the stands.

"Crimson Dragon, welcome to my arena!" Jack greeted the God dragon. "Now watch and witness how your future master rules this Duel!"

"The Crimson Dragon belongs to no one, Jack!" I shouted angrily.

"Shut up!" Jack spat. "I am a Signer, Estelle Malmström, and this is my destiny. Goodwin told me that the power of the Crimson Dragon will help me save this world!"

"Me! You! I! You think this is just about you, Jack Atlas?!" I shouted angrily, getting tired of his selfishness. "Have you already forgotten there are _five_ Signers?! Five Signers that has to work together as a team to fully control the power of the Crimson Dragon!" Star Eater roared in agreement.

Just then the Crimson Dragon roared as he swirled around the dome and caused a powerful gust of wind.

"_**Now allow me to show you the future of the Satellite's fate**_", Crimson Dragon said.

"What's going on?!" Jack shouted.

I felt my soul being ripped out from my body in a crimson light and float up into the Crimson Dragon along with Star Eater, Jack, Red Dragon Archfiend and the three remaining Signers.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_The next thing I knew when I opened my eyes I was sitting on the neck of Star Eater as he flew in a dark universe._

"Star Eater!" _I gasped._

"**Mistress Estelle**", _Star Eater greeted me._

_I looked up and saw Red Dragon Archfiend hold Jack in one of his clawed hands._ "What the... Red Dragon Archfiend?!" _the blonde man gasped._

"**Master Jack**", _Red Dragon Archfiend greeted._

"Did you just talk?!" _Jack questioned._

"**I did, Master**", _Red Dragon Archfiend nodded._

"Where are we?" _I heard Yusei's voice._

_I looked up to the left and saw Yusei, Luna and Akiza floating in the air inside each red bubble. Akiza was dressed in a swimsuit that looked like the one she had been wearing whenever she took a bath in the anime._

"Where's the stadium?" _Luna asked._ "What's going on?"

"I don't know", _Akiza replied._

_I looked up ahead and spotted a red star before a temple came up with the star._

"Look there!" _Jack called, pointing at the temple._

_We saw people bowing at the bottom of the temple as five more people were on the top._

"Estelle, they look exactly like the People of the Stars", _Jack said._

"Yes", _I nodded._

"What're they doing here?" _Yusei wondered when he saw the five people having the Mark of the Dragon._ "Hey, guys! They're all Signers!"

"Like us!" _Jack nodded._ "Goodwin told me about these people. He said somehow we're all linked to the Crimson Dragon."

"**That is correct, Atlas**", _Star Eater's deep voice growled._

_I spotted a young woman dressed in more fancy clothes walk up to the top, wearing red clothes and had her arms exposed. On her right arm was the same pentagram Mark that I had!_

"Guys! That woman who's walking to the former Signers... She has the Mark that I have!" _I shouted._

"That must've been the carrier of the Star Mark before you", _Akiza concluded._

"**Let us move on. We have much to show you**", _Star Eater said before flying ahead._

"What do you mean?!" _Jack shouted behind us._

"**You will see, Master**", _Red Dragon Archfiend replied._

_I already knew what the next scene was about. We soon reached the streets of the Satellite below us._

"Down there! It looks a lot like the Satellite, Jack!" _Yusei shouted._

_Only one second later the whole Satellite became engulfed in purple flames._

"What's happening?!" _Luna gasped._

"Everyone, look there!" _Akiza called._ "Is that a giant spider surrounding New Domino City?"

_I swallowed nervously when I heard the word "spider". I wasn't a huge fan of them. I tolerated several bug, but spiders were out of the question._

_The buildings of both the Satellite and New Domino City crumbled down by the dark flames, destroying everything._

"I can't believe this is happening!" _Yusei exclaimed._ "We have to stop it!"

"Calm down, everyone!" _I shouted, getting their attention._ "This is not happening in the present. This is a vision of the future! A future that shows how an evil force is trying to take over the world, starting with Satellite and New Domino City!"

"Well, if that's the future, then you two better stop this Duel right now!" _Yusei shouted._ "We gotta get home!"

"You're right, Yusei!" _I nodded in agreement._

"We will, once we finish this", _Jack said with an unnatural calm voice._

"What?!" _Yusei and I gasped simultaneously._

"Estelle, this is a Duel. The Crimson Dragon won't let either of us go back until one of us wins", _Jack explained._

"Come on!" _Yusei growled._

"How do you know that, Jack? Or is it your own decision?" _I spat._

_Jack snorted,_ "Don't you get it? Dueling brought us here and Dueling's what's gonna get us back home. And whoever wins will show the Crimson Dragon they deserve the power of save the world. And I'm gonna be that person!"

"You're nuts, Jack!" _Yusei shouted angrily._

"I had enough of your selfishness, Jack Atlas!" _I shouted before I intertwined my hands for praying._ "Crimson Dragon, we received your message. Please send us back to the stadium so we can end the Duel and then save the world!"

_My arm with the Star Mark started glowing as it slowly got stronger. The two Synchro dragons roared before the whole universe got engulfed in a crimson light._

_But then I heard the Crimson Dragon's voice in my head._

"**Only the Signers and the Priestess can stop this future from happening.**"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I gasped when I felt my soul return to my body. I also felt a bit lightheaded, but recovered fast. I looked up and saw Jack looking around, surprised to see we were back in the arena. I turned to the stands to see Yusei and Luna look around, like they had just awakened from a dream. Star Eater and Red Dragon Archfiend growled under their breaths, waiting for further orders.

When I looked up at the sky, the dark clouds were gone and the presence of the Crimson Dragon had disappeared.

"How...did we get back here?" Jack questioned before turning to me with a glare. "You! It was you who told the Crimson Dragon to send us back!"

"Yes, Jack, and it's time to end this Duel!" I said, holding up my left arm with the Duel Disk. "Oh, and I forgot to tell you one thing about Star Eater. When he gets Synchro summoned, cards and effects cannot be activated. So I think I end my turn."

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Yusei and Luna looked around when their souls returned to their bodies, surprised to see they were back in the stadium.

"W-What just happened?" Luna questioned.

"We're back?" Yusei mumbled.

"What's wrong, guys?" Dexter asked.

"Where did the Crimson Dragon go?" Yanagi asked, looking at the sky that was now free from clouds.

"It was here just a second ago and now it's gone?" Tanner said.

"Gone?!" Yusei and Luna said and looked at their arms that had stopped glowing.

"But how...?" Yusei mumbled before turning his attention on the arena, remembering Estelle had made a praying to the Crimson Dragon. "Did Estelle send us back here?"

"What are you talking about? You never left the seats", Tanner commented.

"No... It's not about that...", Luna mumbled.

"What do you mean, Luna?" Leo asked worriedly.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Sayer who was standing close to the stands was also shocked to see the Crimson Dragon had disappeared in less than a second.

*_What happened? I thought the Crimson Dragon should truly appear when all the Signers are at present_*, he thought before turning to the Ivory Tower. *_Did something go wrong with the summoning?_*

Sayer heard running footsteps approach him and a familiar gasping voice. He turned around and saw Akiza running up to him, fully dressed and her hairpin attached.

"Akiza? What are you doing here? You should go back and rest", Sayer said.

"I-I know...", Akiza panted to regain her breath. "But... I got this urgent feeling to come back and watch the final Duel..."

Sayer grimaced mentally, knowing Akiza had been affected by Estelle and Yusei, but he didn't show his concern. "If you feel strong enough to stay here..."

Akiza nodded, "Yes, I do."

"Okay then, but stay with me all the time."

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

Jack smirked, "Not so tough now as before, aren't you?" He drew a new card. "Red Dragon Archfiend, attack the face-down next to Star Eater!"

Now it was my turn to smirk. "You fell into my trap, Jack! I Flip summon Old Vindictive Magician!" I flipped up my face-down Monster. "Now his special ability activates! I can target one Monster my opponent controls and destroy said target!"

**Old Vindictive Magician, Level 2: DEF 600**

"You wouldn't dare...", Jack growled.

"I do dare, Jack", I replied. "I choose your Red Dragon Archfiend to send it to your Graveyard with Old Vindictive Magician!"

Old Vindictive Magician held up his staff that glowed in shiny dark energy and sent the power at Red Dragon Archfiend who fought against the power. But it was useless. The black dragon was dissipated and got sent to the Graveyard just as my spellcaster Monster joined my other cards in my own Graveyard.

Jack growled, "I end my turn with a new face-down."

"Alright...", I mumbled as I drew a new card.

*_Jack är praktisk taget öppen för en direkt attack, men han har ännu två nedvänta kort som kan ändra allt... __Beroende på vad det är för slags kort… (Jack is practically open for a direct attack, but he still has two face downs that can change everything... Depending on what kind of cards they are...)_*

I took a look at the card I've just drawn. Mystical Space Typhoon. Perfect!

"I start by playing the Spell card Mystical Space Typhoon!" I played said card. "I can destroy a Spell or Trap card on the field and I choose your new face-down, Jack!"

A typhoon came out from my Spell card and hit Jack's face-down which was Mirror Force. Jack growled loudly when his Trap card got destroyed.

"The time has come, Jack Atlas...", I spoke with a low voice. "Star Eater, gather the light of the stars!"

Star Eater flew high up in the air and started collecting the power of the stars, creating a large orange orb in front of his mouth, twice as big as his body.

"_Uh-oh, people... I think we're reaching the climax of the Duel..._", the MC commented with a worried voice.

I quickly pulled off my ribbon, releasing my hair from the ponytail I had tied up before the Duel. "Starlight... BREAKER!"

Star Eater pointed the orb towards Jack before releasing the energy. Jack braced himself as the light engulfed us before it spread all around us to the stands and across the dome. The scene kind of reminded me of Nanoha's Starlight Breaker from "Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The Movie 1st".

I closed my eyes and could only feel warmth from the attack, making me cry slightly when I recognized the warmth of the love I felt for my mother and father. A love that could never be replaced by anything else in the world.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Jack couldn't believe he was actually going to lose. He braced himself by shielding his head with both his arms when the attack reached him. He felt the power of Starlight Breaker push him back slowly, but he held himself back. But then he felt a powerful shockwave that pushed him back roughly.

Jack waited for the pain to come, but it never came. He felt something familiar... A warmth he had almost forgotten.

*_This is... No way!_* Jack gasped. *_This feeling is just the same when I grew up with Martha, Yusei and Crow!_* He started remembering all the happy time he shared with his foster brothers and foster mother, and the big dream to connect the Satellite with New Domino City. *_Me... When I was so young... Hoping... Dreaming...for a better future..._* Then he remembered the good times when he and his "brothers" joined Kalin in the Enforcers, Dueling together to keep the Satellite as a safe place, and then the few times he had joined Yusei's group after the Enforcers got disbanded and seen Stardust Dragon for the first time when Yusei had Synchro summoned it with his first Duel Runner. *_What a fool I've been... How could I forget the times I spent with my family... My friends..._* A small tear escaped his eye. *_Yusei... I'm sorry..._*

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yusei's group gasped loudly when they saw the attack and the light reaching the stands.

"What's happening?!" Leo shouted.

"Everyone, take cover!" Tanner yelled.

They got down on the floor, holding their heads as the light swallowed them.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Sayer and Akiza gasped at the light that was reaching them as well. Sayer grabbed Akiza and held her close to him, protecting her if the light was going to hurt them.

The man glanced at the light with a thinking expression. *_This power... It's over everything I've sensed in my whole life... That woman... Estelle..._*

That was the moment when the light of Starlight Breaker reached the duo.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I felt my hair ruffle by the attack of Starlight Breaker as I kept my eyes close to not get blind by the light. I focused deeply with Star Eater to put warm and gentle energy in the attack, making sure no one got hurt.

I felt a shockwave rush past me when Starlight Breaker caused an explosion. I suddenly felt weak and went down on one knee, panting to regain my breath. When the light died down, I looked up to see small orange light orbs fall down from the sky and exploded as fireworks.

**Jack: 3200 – 0**

**Estelle: 1100**

Star Eater was still on the field when I glanced up to see Jack wasn't on the stage. I gasped and got up slowly on my feet before rushing to the other side of the arena. When I reached the edge of the stage, I looked down to see Jack lying unconscious on the Turbo course.

"Jack!" I cried worriedly.

Star Eater lowered his head to let me climb on his neck. Once I did, he flew down to the Turbo course and let me get down.

"Thank you, Star Eater", I thanked my ace dragon.

Star Eater nodded and flew up in the air above me, rumbling worriedly as I reached Jack.

I knelt down and slowly lifted up Jack's head so he could rest on my lap. "Jack..."

"Jack!"

I looked up to see Yusei rush over to us, getting down on one knee next to Jack when the raven-haired man reached us.

Jack stirred before he slowly opened his eyes to glance at me. "Estelle... You beat me... I don't know how you were able to do it... But you're the champ now..."

I shook my head. "I don't care if I'm the champion. I just wanted to make you realize what you've missed because of your selfishness..."

"And you did...", Jack smirked weakly before turning to Yusei. "Yusei... I'm sorry...for betraying you and our friends..." Yusei's eyes widened by the words he just heard from the blonde man. "And sorry...for taking your...Stardust Dragon..."

"Don't strain yourself", Yusei told the blonde man. "If that vision is true, none of this matters. Because it looks like we all might lose. We're in danger, and our cities might be destroyed, and we have to unite to stop it from happening."

I nodded in agreement. "All five Signers are meant to be friends and work together as a team, no matter how different they are."

Jack coughed a little. "You always wanted to be a hero, Yusei... Now here's your chance..." That was the last words he managed to say before he lost consciousness once again.

"Jack!" Yusei shouted worriedly.

I held Jack's left cheek and rubbed it gently to give the blonde man some comfort. I noticed a stray line of a tear on his cheek and wiped it away.

"_Uh... It's over!_" the MC suddenly shouted. "_Estelle is our winner! From an unknown star, from a few days of being foreigner, she now reigns supreme! I proudly present New Domino City's newest heroine! Estelle Malmström!_"


	13. Dark Signers Arising

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 13: Dark Signers Arising**

The paramedics rushed out to us with a hospital trolley and slowly loaded up Jack on it. They removed his Duel Disk to lighten up the pressure in his arm. Yusei and I watched as the paramedics rolled away Jack from the arena as the audience chanted my name. Star Eater was still up and flying, growling at the new male fans I've got. But I also heard many girls throwing bad words and insulting me that I cheated against Jack.

I turned to Yusei to see he had a concerned expression. I put a hand on his shoulder, making him turn to me. "Don't worry about Jack. He'll be fine."

Yusei was about to reply when we heard Yanagi scream our names. We turned around and saw said man, Tanner rolling Yusei's Duel Runner and Leo rush towards us.

"Are you guys okay?" I asked.

"We're fine, but you're about to face a brand new enemy, Estelle!" Yanagi pointed to the camera/reporter crew. "The media!"

Just then the media crew broke down the gate, rushing into the arena.

"They're loose!" Leo shouted.

Yusei gasped in panic.

"This is crazy!" I commented with widen eyes.

"Better rev it up!" Tanner called.

"Coming!" Yusei said, grabbing my hand.

I gasped loudly as Yusei dragged me away from the arena. I quickly turned to Star Eater. "Star Eater, you know what to do!"

"_**Yes, Mistress!**_" Star Eater growled.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Just before the reporters were about to reach the new Queen of Games, Star Eater lowered himself to the ground and roared loudly, scaring the media crew. Then he breathed fire that made a barrier between himself and the media.

"Come on, guys! This is just some trick!" a woman with long blonde hair told everyone. "These flames are just holographic!"

The woman was about to prove it by reaching out her hand into the flames, but she got a big warm surprise. She yelled out in pain when she really felt the fire burn her hand. "OUCH!"

"No freaking way!" a man with a mic shouted. "The flames are real!"

Star Eater roared once again before he dissipated with the flames. When the reporters rushed ahead, they couldn't find Estelle anywhere.

"Dammit!" the blonde woman cursed. "We lost her!"

A young woman with dark green hair and coke-bottle glasses looked around, wondering where Estelle and her friends ran off to.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I was still panting after that sudden rush while we walked in this underground tunnel. I wasn't the athletic type, so my body was kinda weak from running. But what I didn't realize was I was still holding Yusei's hand.

"Where are we?" Dexter asked.

"This is an abandoned service tunnel", Tanner answered, still rolling Yusei's Duel Runner.

"Cool!" Dexter commented. "Hey, Tanner, how'd you know this was down here?"

"A guy like me knows these things. That, and Blister told me."

"I have no idea what happened to you guys when the Crimson Dragon appeared, but I'm thrilled that you won the tournament, Estelle", Yanagi smiled.

"I knew you could do it, Estelle!" Leo said excitedly. "You're like the best Duelist I've ever seen! You're like my heroine!"

I chuckled lightly with a small smile.

"Forget the tournament", Tanner interrupted. "The whole thing was a setup on Goodwin's part. Let's not forget the only reason why Yusei Dueled was because he captured his friends. Until we figure out what the whole story is, we should lay low in Blister's hideout. Leo, Luna, Estelle, you three should probably come and stay with us too."

"Are you serious?!" Leo asked excitedly. "Awesome! It'll be like sleepaway camping, only even better!"

I smiled at Leo's enthusiasm, but then remembered the vision of the future. About the Dark Signers that would soon rise.

"What's wrong, Estelle?" Luna asked. "You've been so quiet ever since we left the dome."

I sighed, "I'm just thinking about that vision we saw in the light."

"I think we all saw it", Yusei said. "That was a vision of the future the Crimson Dragon just showed us."

I nodded, "He did say something about that only the Signers and the Priestess can stop it."

"Priestess?" Dexter questioned.

Luna looked at her arm and grabbed it. "What is a Signer?"

"Allow me, Luna", Yanagi said. "I can tell you everything there is to know, but before I explain what a Signer is, I'll have to give you some backstory by thrilling you with tales of my numerous archeological adventures around the world!"

"Um... Okay?" Luna said unsurely.

I rubbed my forehead by tiredness and thought about the spider mark. I disliked spiders so much that I was wondering how I was going to be able to face the Dark Signer that had a spider as an Earthbound Immortal.

Yusei squeezed my hand. "You okay?"

I turned to him with a nod. "Yeah... Just a little bit tired..." I turned to my Duel Disk that was offline, but Star Eater's card was still on it. I let go of Yusei's hand so I could remove the card and put it away properly.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

We were now at Blister's hideout in the Daimon Area, waiting for Yanagi to finish drawing the full Mark of the Crimson Dragon. I had removed my Duel Disk and put my bag on a couch during that time. Dexter had gone back home on his own.

"Now bear in mind that I am not an artist and I only saw it that one time, but the Dragon Seal looked something like this", Yanagi said when he was done.

We all leaned forward to see the rough sketch of the Dragon Seal.

"That's the dragon's head", Yusei pointed at the part that was actually the tail, but I didn't say anything.

"What is it? What about the head?" Leo asked.

Yusei rolled up his sleeve to show us his Mark. "Look."

"That looks just like it", Leo turned to his sister. "Hey, Luna, let's see your Mark."

Luna pulled up her sleeve to show the Hand Mark.

"So Luna's Mark looks like the claw thing. What's that mean?" Leo wondered.

"According to the legend", Yanagi began. "The Crimson Dragon's head, wings, hands, legs and tail were split into five parts. And then sealed away as Marks on the original Signers. The Marks were then passed down through the generations."

"But right now we only know about _four_ Signers", Tanner stated. "So how is the Crimson Dragon summoned if only four of them are gathered?"

"I guess the fifth Signer must've been somewhere in that arena."

"So Luna's a Signer, Jack's a Signer, Akiza's a Signer, and Yusei's a Signer", Leo counted on his fingers. "So who's the other one?" He then began to check himself. "Maybe it's me! Maybe I have a Mark somewhere!"

"But what about Estelle's Mark?" Tanner asked. "Her Mark looks like a pentagram and if I take a closer look on the Dragon Seal, I can't spot a single star anywhere on it."

I looked at my arm before pulling it up to reveal the Star Mark while thinking about the sixth person among the original Signers in the vision we saw.

"I started remembering about the Star Mark during the final Duel", Yanagi said. "There might be five Signers, but there was a sixth person who fulfilled a bigger role."

"The Crimson Star Priestess...", I mumbled loudly.

"Exactly!" Yanagi exclaimed happily before getting a shocked expression. "Wait a moment! How'd you know that?!"

I looked up confusedly. "I... I didn't know... The only thing I got to know by the Crimson Dragon is that I am a Priestess, but I never knew the full name of the title."

"The Crimson Star Priestess has a power that is almost equal to the Crimson Dragon's, and she can communicate with said dragon, but not summon it on her own", Yanagi added. "That's why she needs all five Signers to help her reach her maximal strength to summon the Crimson Dragon in distress situations."

"Like the upcoming event...", I mumbled.

"Is this Star Mark also passed down by the generations too?" Yusei asked.

"I'm not sure about that...", Yanagi confessed.

Luna suddenly looked dizzy and fell down, but I grabbed her just in time.

"Luna!" Leo shouted.

"Is she okay?" Yusei asked worriedly.

"Luna, what's wrong?" Leo asked worriedly.

"It's nothing... I'm just a little tired, that's all...", Luna mumbled.

"Well, that's understandable", Tanner said. "We've all had a crazy couple of days. Let's try to get some rest."

I nodded as I caressed Luna's head, making her fall asleep in my arms.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

It was bit over midnight when I woke up just like that. I sat up on the couch with Leo and Luna sleeping by my side, Tanner and Yanagi sleeping on another couch while Yusei just stood by the table looking at the drawing of the Dragon Seal.

I made sure to not wake up the children as I stood up, adjusted my glasses and walked over to Yusei. I had removed my red jacket before sleeping so I was in my black long-sleeved shirt. It wasn't a shirt that was meant to be super-tight on the body, but it was still fitting to show my skinny body. "Yusei..." Said man looked over his shoulder as I stood by his left side. "Can't sleep?"

"No...", Yusei replied. "What about you?"

I shrugged, "I just suddenly felt awake..." I glanced down at the drawing. "Thinking about the vision again?"

Yusei nodded before walking over to the window, me following him. "I grew up at the Satellite with my foster family... So that place is precious to me... If that darkness is really trying to destroy my home, I've got to stop it."

"Yes, but not alone", I told him. "The five Signers and the Priestess must work together in order to get rid of the evil force that is about to come..."

Suddenly, my arm with the Star Mark started hurting. I hissed in pain as I brought up my arm seeing the Mark glow through the black sleeve. I turned to Yusei whose Mark was also glowing.

"What the...?" Yusei asked quietly.

I looked out the window and spotted a man in a black cloak, his left arm glowing in purple. "Yusei...", I pointed outside.

Yusei glanced out the window and saw the man. "Who is that? He has a Mark... Is he the fifth Signer?"

"No...", I whispered. "If he was, then his arm would be glowing red." I walked to my bag and put on my jacket and Duel Disk. "But that guy is bad news."

"How'd you know that?" Yusei wondered.

I didn't want to reveal the truth yet, so I lied. "Call it a hunch. But you better grab your Duel Disk."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yusei and I went outside and rushed after the cloaked man to a tall parking house far away from Blister's hideout. Yusei could have run ahead since I was slow, but he didn't leave me behind which was nice of him.

We climbed up to the floor we saw the cloaked man on and rushed to the middle. We looked around everywhere trying to find the man.

"Where's he hiding?" Yusei mumbled.

"He's here somewhere", I said, standing behind him.

I wasn't prepared to get ambushed from behind, so I screamed loudly when I felt someone seize my wrists behind my back and then covered my mouth to stop me from shouting.

But luckily Yusei had heard my scream and turned around seeing me being hold by the cloaked man.

"Who are you, and what are you doing to Estelle?!" Yusei growled angrily.

I struggled in the man's grip as the cloaked man chuckled. "I am a Shadow Drone", he said. "If you want your precious Crimson Star Priestess back and know the truth, then my master says you must Duel me for them." He activated his Duel Disk.

"Why am I not surprised? Alright, buddy, you got yourself a Duel!" Yusei agreed, activating his own Duel Disk.

I got the chance and bit the man's hand, making him yell out in pain. "Why you...!" He threw me down roughly on the concrete, making me yelp in pain when I hit my backside hard.

"Estelle!" Yusei shouted.

"I'm fine...", I groaned, sitting up while rubbing my aching spine.

"But not for long, Priestess", the Shadow Drone chuckled.

After he said that, a ring of purple flames appeared around the Shadow Drone and Yusei. I was still inside the ring with the Shadow Drone in front of me. When I tried to sneak over to Yusei's side, three rings of purple flames appeared around me and squeezed me tight, trapping my arms. One ring was around my collarbone, the next one underneath my chest and the third one around my waist.

"Estelle!" Yusei turned to the Shadow Drone with an intimidating glare. "Who are you and what's going on?"

"You and I have been offered up by the light and placed inside the Energy Ring of the Eternal Shadow. I'm afraid there's no turning back now", the Shadow Drone explained.

"What're you talking about?!" Yusei demanded.

"You'll see", the Shadow Drone replied.

Yusei cast me a worried glance which I noticed. "Don't worry about me! Focus on the Duel because it might cost your life!" I shouted.

Yusei's expression told me he wanted to ask more questions, but skipped it for the Duel.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Every time Yusei lost Life Points, I felt the rings of flames squeeze me tighter, sometimes making me hiss in pain. But I tried to take control of the rings to get rid of the pressure which helped, thanks to Sun Dragon Inti who supported me in his transparent form. I also tried to give Yusei some strength and resist the real attacks which didn't help because I was getting weaker mentally by every hit Yusei took.

The Duel ended with Yusei as the winner. The flames of the battle arena disappeared with the rings that kept me caged. I rubbed my abdomen, feeling really sore by the squeezing of the rings. When I rubbed my waist I grimaced in pain when I felt a bruise.

The cloaked man fell down on the ground, dropping his Duel Disk, being unconscious. Since I was still standing next to him, I got down on my knees to remove the hood of him.

Yusei rushed over to us and grabbed the man by his collar, shaking him violently. "Hey, you owe me some answers, got that?! Start talking!"

The man regained consciousness and looked really confused. "Start talking about what? Who are you?" He looked around. "What am I doing here?"

"Stop fooling around and tell me what your spider Mark has to do with the Satellite?!" Yusei growled.

I glanced down at the man's arm, seeing the spider Mark was gone. "No use, Yusei. His Mark is gone, meaning the evil force that took over him temporarily is gone."

Just then Carly appeared out of nowhere, walking up to us, asking the former Shadow Drone why he challenged Yusei and used me as a hostage.

"And why are you asking?" Yusei wondered.

Carly knelt down. "Oh... 'Cause I'm a world-wide reporter. And this is gonna be my biggest story ever." She picked up some kind of a mic from her bag. "Now, perhaps you wouldn't mind answering a few things."

While Carly kept asking Yusei about this Duel, I glanced at the cloaked man who looked completely confused. Just then I spotted a spider leaving him as a dark aura left his Deck.

I poked the man's shoulder, getting his attention. "Sir, may I see your Deck for a second?"

"Um... Sure...", the man nodded, giving me his Deck.

I grabbed the Deck and went through it, noticing his Dark Synchro and other dark cards were gone. "Yusei."

Yusei turned from Carly as I showed him the Deck. "His Dark Tuners and Dark Synchro are gone", he mumbled.

I nodded and handed back the Deck to the man who was being interviewed by Carly. Just then we heard the sirens of Sector Security vehicles reach the parking house.

"We got to go, Yusei", I told him.

"Right", Yusei nodded. "Can you walk? You've got squeezed every time I took damage."

"We'll see...", I slowly stood up. But when I straightened my back, I gasped at the pain rushing through my spine. I held back the pain, hissing through my teeth.

"No use... I can't run like this...", I murmured.

"Then I guess I have to carry you", Yusei said.

"What? No! If the Queen of Games is hurt, she has to go to the hospital!" Carly retorted.

"There's no time for that...", I said before thinking out something. "Gallis the Star Beast!"

A light came out from my Deck that was inserted in my Duel Disk and hit the concrete in front of us before materializing into said Monster.

"_**Mistress!**_" Gallis gasped, seeing my condition.

The others were astonished to see a Monster standing in front of them without me having to put the card on my Duel Disk.

"H-How...?" the cloaked man stuttered in fear.

I limped over to Gallis who had got down on his limbs, letting me climb on him. "I can't explain right now, but we can get out of here faster with Gallis."

Yusei looked hesitantly at the beast. "Are you sure...?"

The sirens got even louder by every second making Carly go into a panic mode. "Go! Hurry, before Sector Security arrives!"

Yusei nodded to Carly before climbing onto Gallis, sitting behind me with his hand holding my shoulders. Gallis got up on his paws and walked to an opening at the parking house. He opened his wings and flew up in the air, blending into the shadows of the night.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The clock was around 3 AM when we got back to Blister's hideout. Gallis landed gently on the ground and got down on his limbs. Yusei jumped off first before helping me get down.

I turned to Gallis and patted his head. "Thank you, Gallis."

"_**Anything for you, Mistress**_", Gallis growled before dissipating, returning to my Deck.

"How can you summon Monsters without using the Duel Disk?" Yusei asked.

"I think it's a part of my power...", I replied.

Yusei helped me get into the apartment and led me to a room that had a bed. He helped me sit down before I removed my Duel Disk and put it on a nightstand next to the bed. "Thank you, Yusei."

"You're welcome", Yusei said, sitting down next to me. "How're you feeling?"

"Sore...", I mumbled, removing my jacket before lifting up my shirt to see a big blue bruise around my waist.

Yusei grimaced at the sight. "We better take care of that in the morning."

I nodded, letting go of my shirt. "Yeah... And we better tell the others about this Duel with the Shadow Drone..."

Yusei nodded before standing up. "I'll go research about this spider Mark-"

"Yusei, you need your sleep", I retorted quickly. "You can look for information after a few hours of rest."

Yusei looked hesitantly before nodding. "Yeah, I guess so..."

I smiled warmly before crawling under the covers. "You better do that..." I yawned and pulled off my glasses, placing them on the nightstand. In the next second, I fell asleep.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I heard birds singing their summer song, waking me up from my sleep. I rubbed my eyes and sat up slowly, still feeling sore by the incident a few hours ago.

I put on my glasses and jacket before slowly walking to the main room with the Duel Disk in my hand. The others were already awake. Tanner and Yusei were the only ones in the main room when I stepped inside.

"Estelle!" Tanner exclaimed. "Yusei told me about what happened so I fetched the first-aid kit." A white box with a red cross sat next to a laptop on the table.

"Thanks...", I limped to the table and grabbed the first-aid kit.

The bruise seemed to be already a bit better, but I still put on the bandage. When I was done, Tanner took the first-aid kit and put it away wherever he found it.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yusei hadn't left the laptop for a couple of hours. He kept trying to find more clues about the spider Mark. I wished I could tell him what I knew, but that could cause problems with the events.

I stepped inside the main room with two cups; one with black tea for me and other one coffee for Yusei.

I placed Yusei's cup next to the laptop. "Here you are."

"Thanks", Yusei nodded before taking a sip of the hot liquid.

I looked over his shoulder to see different websites and forums, but none of them said anything about the spider Mark. I grimaced, hating what I was about to say.

"Yusei...", I mumbled, getting his attention. "I hate to say this, but I think Goodwin is the one we must turn to if we want some answers."

Yanagi was now in the room, hearing what I said. "But, Estelle, you can't trust Goodwin."

"Yeah, you already forgot he locked up Yusei before and kidnapped his friends?" Tanner agreed. "He's not our friend!"

"Who else can we turn to?" I argued. "He knows about the Crimson Dragon _and_ the Signers, so he should know about the Dark Signers."

Yusei placed down his cup of coffee. "Estelle's got a point." We turned to him. "Goodwin's the only one with answers about the Crimson Dragon."

"Who?"

We turned to the door, seeing Leo and Luna stand there with sad expressions.

"You're leaving?" Luna asked. "But it's not safe for either one of you out there."

"Please don't go", Leo begged.

I put down my cup of tea and stepped over to the twins, kneeling down to put my hands on their shoulders. "Leo, Luna, we have no other choice if we want to learn more about the upcoming events. I'm only going to get my own answers, and then I'll come back. But I have a feeling Yusei wants to not only look for the enemy in the Satellite but also check if his friends are okay."

Yusei nodded, confirming my theory.

"But what if he doesn't come back?!" Luna whimpered.

"Please stay here!" Leo begged Yusei.

Yusei walked up to us and knelt down next to me, facing the twins. "Don't worry. In fact, I've already made some arrangements for some backup."

The twins blinked confusedly. "You mean, getting a bodyguard?" Luna asked.

The sirens of Sector Security were suddenly heard from outside, making me and Yusei walk up to the window. "Looks like our ride's here", Yusei commented.

I chuckled lightly, seeing Officer Trudge with a megaphone in front of his mouth among the Security. "Alright, Yusei, I got your message. Now get your Deck and get down here! I'm not gonna waste my time waiting just because we're teaming up temporarily! You got that?!" he shouted.

"Trudge is your protection?" Tanner asked in disbelief.

"He's more", Yusei said. "If he gets us to Goodwin safely, we just might have to call Trudge one of the good guys."

I picked up my bag and put on my Duel Disk before turning to Tanner and Yanagi. "Look after the twins while I'm away. I hope I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"You got it", Tanner nodded.

The twins rushed to me, hugging me gently around my waist that was still sore. "Be careful, Estelle...", Luna mumbled.

"And come back safely this time", Leo said.

I smiled and rubbed both their heads. "I will."

Yusei and I exchanged glances before nodding, knowing we both thought about the same thing. We walked out from the apartment and walked down the stairs, Yusei going first and me behind him while holding onto the railing for support. Trudge gave us a credulous look as he spotted Yusei.

"Well, what're we waiting for?" Yusei said. "Let's roll out!"

*_Yuseis sista mening lät precis som Optimus Primes berömda citat. __(Yusei's last sentence sounded just like Optimus Prime's famous quote)._*


	14. Goodwin's History Class

**I really like Carly. She's a nice character. She kind of reminds me of myself, and not just because I wear glasses; because she never gives up no matter the situation. And I support Jack/Carly shipping. ;)**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 14: Goodwin's History Class**

"You've got a lot of nerve asking for my help, you Satellite reject", Trudge growled.

The officer was about to grab Yusei's jacket, but the young man caught his arm and held him back.

"Good to see you too, Officer Trudge", Yusei replied.

Yusei walked past Trudge with me following him slowly since my abdomen was still sore. He slowed down so I could hold onto his shoulder from behind, keeping my balance.

"Let's get something straight", Trudge said angrily. "You want my protection? You need to respect my authority." We both ignored him. "Hey, do you hear what I say?!"

I turned to Trudge with an irritated expression as I let go of Yusei's shoulder. "Officer, I know you two weren't in good terms before, but this time you have to tolerate Yusei."

Trudge growled with a glare. "Just get in the car already!"

I shrugged and stepped into the car with Yusei. As soon as I sat down, Trudge slammed close the door and got on his motorcycle.

"Thanks for what you said back there", Yusei said as the police car started moving.

I turned to him with a small smile. "You're welcome."

"You must have had lots of friends back at your hometown if you stood up for your friends like you did just now", Yusei commented.

My small smile was replaced with a sad expression. I turned away from the young man and looked out the window watching the streets and people. I saw Yusei's worried expression reflecting on the window. "Estelle?" he mumbled.

"I used to have a couple of friends when I was a little girl...", I replied. "But not now when I've grown up."

Yusei didn't ask more questions. He probably heard the low tone in my voice.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yusei and I waited in the lounge when we arrived to Sector Security. The raven-haired man walked around in circles in the lounge while I was watching a screen as Goodwin presented the new movie "Atlas Rising: The Rise of Jack Atlas".

I grew tired of the presentation and turned to Yusei, seeing him walk around restlessly like a caged animal. "Yusei, can you sit down and relax for a moment? You're making me nervous by watching you walk around like that."

Yusei shook his head, but he leant against the wall, trying to get rid of the adrenaline kick. But a few minutes later, Trudge decided to check on us.

"Enjoying the film?" the officer asked.

I shrugged, not replying on the question.

"When can we talk to Goodwin?" Yusei asked with a scowl.

"Be patient, Yusei", Trudge replied. "The Director is a busy man. If you're bored, we could always pass the time with a Duel. What do you say? Wait, you don't have your Duel Disk, so..." He turned towards me, eyeing my Duel Disk. "Are you game, little lady? Or are you afraid of losing your title?"

Before I could retort, someone else had joined us.

"Hah! Now that would be an interesting development. Though I seriously doubt our new champion would fall to a man of your character, Officer Trudge."

We all glanced at Lazar who had approached us without making a single noise.

"Why you!" Trudge spat.

Lazar walked up to me and Yusei. "Sorry to keep you waiting. The Director is ready to see you now." Yusei and I nodded before the clown turned to the officer. "Mr. Goodwin would like to thank you for escorting the champion and her friend here. Now, we'd like you to go to the hospital and fetch Jack!"

Trudge grimaced, but saluted. "Whatever he needs, sir."

I stood up from the couch and walked up to Yusei who waited for me by the door with Lazar. When I walked past Trudge, I tried to cast a warning glance at him, telling him to be careful. But I guess he got the wrong message because he glared at me like I was trying to look down on him because I was the new Queen of Games.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yusei and I got escorted to a limo that would take us to the unfinished bridge that was supposed to connect with the Satellite. I was getting a bit restless for some reason when my right arm started glowing. I looked down on it and realized it was around this time when Jack and Carly Dueled against the mind-controlled Trudge at the hospital.

I was about to ignore the glow when I felt a sudden sting of pain in my heart. I grimaced slightly and rubbed my arm, trying to calm down from the impact.

"Everything okay?" Yusei asked.

I nodded, "I'm fine... But not Jack for the moment..."

"What? Is Jack in danger?" Yusei asked, keeping his voice down so the unknown chauffeur wouldn't hear us.

I leant closer to Yusei's ear to whisper. "Jack is Dueling a Shadow Drone... And I think I just felt his physical pain."

Yusei's eyes widened, "We have to go to the hospital immediately!"

I grabbed his hand. "No." Yusei stared at me as if I was crazy. "We can't interfere, but if it can calm you down... I can try sending a message with one of my Duel Monsters."

"Send a message...? What do you mean?"

I ignored the question as I pulled out my Deck from my Duel Disk and went through the cards until I found Galaxy Serpent. I picked up the card and held it close to my face.

"Come out, Galaxy Serpent."

There was a low glow before the transparent figure of said Monster appeared in front of me.

"_**Mistress**_", Galaxy Serpent cooed with a young girl's voice.

"Galaxy Serpent, I need you to go to the hospital and stay by Jack's side until his Duel is over", I whispered.

"_**Understood.**_"

Galaxy Serpent flew through the limo and headed to the hospital, leaving shiny powder behind.

I turned to Yusei who eyed me suspiciously. "Everything will be fine, Yusei. Trust me."

Said man nodded before leaning back against the seats, exhaling a deep sigh. I turned to the window and looked out, seeing it was getting late.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

The Duel between Jack, Carly who was dressed in a nurse outfit as a disguise, and the mind-controlled Trudge was about to be difficult, especially for Jack. He barely had any cards of his Deck thanks to the Shadow Drone's Monsters.

The mind-controlled Trudge had just activated Dark Divider's special ability to lower Strong Wind Dragon's attack points to the same power as the dark Monster had.

**Strong Wind Dragon, Level 6: ATK 3400 – 2000**

"We of the Netherworld are here to rob you of your power to extinguish the light of your world by burying you in the shadows", Trudge's manipulated voice spoke. "Then the Crimson Star Priestess shall fulfill the prophecy and perish so that the darkness shall rule!"

Jack arched an eyebrow. "The Crimson Star Priestess? What prophecy?"

"I don't like the sound of that...", Carly commented nervously.

"Dark Divider, attack!" the Shadow Drone commanded.

"Bring it, Officer!" Jack retorted.

Both Monsters attacked, but the powerful wind erupted and was about to toss Jack and Carly against the purple flames that surrounded the Dueling field when a blue shining force field appeared around them, protecting them from the wind.

"What's this?" Jack questioned.

"I have no idea...", Carly shook her head, holding Jack's cards.

They all heard a shriek from above and looked up to see Galaxy Serpent fly down to Jack and Carly. They gasped when they realized they could actually see the Tuner Monster, even though it was in spirit form.

"You're-", Carly began.

"...Estelle's Tuner Monster?" Jack finished.

"_**Yes**_", Galaxy Serpent nodded. "_**Mistress sent me here to give you a message.**_" Jack arched an eyebrow again. "_**Don't let the darkness take over your fear. You might have a big ego, but when you put that aside, you can become stronger than ever before. And don't forget you have the other Signers who are standing by your side and helping you.**_" The Tuner Monster glanced at Carly. "_**Including this female human who's Dueling with you.**_"

Jack glanced down at the girl with the glasses. He realized he had to put aside his ego for a moment and truly Duel together with the girl until the Duel was over. "What was your name again? Curly?"

"Oh... My name is Carly", the girl corrected.

"What'd you say, Carly? We finish this together?"

Carly was astonished by Jack's words, but nodded in agreement. "Oh, uh!"

"It's my-"

"A-A-An-An-And my-"

"...turn!" the duo shouted simultaneously.

"_**That's the spirit!**_" Galaxy Serpent cooed happily.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The Duel ended fast and very explosive. Trudge fell down to the ground as a small spider fell from his neck. Galaxy Serpent growled at the spider before she flew down and chopped the insect, killing it. But she spat it out due to its bad taste, especially with the darkness surrounding the eight-legged creature.

"Where am I?" Trudge mumbled before losing consciousness.

"That's what the other guy was", Carly commented. "It's like they were being controlled by someone else."

Jack lost his balance and was about to fall down to the ground if Carly hadn't caught him.

"Jack!" Carly shouted worriedly.

Jack turned to the young woman. "Would you mind...helping me get out of this hospital?"

Carly looked at first unsure so she turned to Galaxy Serpent who flew by their side.

Galaxy Serpent nodded, "_**Help Jack, and use your wisdom to make him open up his heart even more.**_"

Carly gasped in shock at those words. "W-What do you mean?"

The Tuner Monster didn't reply. She slowly vanished into a cloud of shiny dust, leaving the duo.

"Wait!" Carly called, but it didn't work.

The coke-bottle glasses girl turned to Jack, seeing the blonde man being in pain. She made her decision and helped Jack get out of the hospital without anyone noticing it.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

Yusei and I were standing side by side at the unfinished Daedalus Bridge, waiting for Goodwin to show up. I rubbed my tired eyes underneath my glasses before holding up a hand against my mouth to block a yawn. I felt like I could fall asleep on my feet any second. Yusei put his arm around me, rubbing my right arm. I smiled gently at him and put my hand on his hand, telling him I was fine. Yusei removed his arm just when Goodwin finally arrived.

"Yusei... It's time you learned the whole truth", Goodwin went straight to the point.

"About what?" Yusei asked.

Goodwin pointed out to the horizon, making me and the raven-haired man look towards the Satellite and the unfinished bridge. "About where you come from and where you're going..."

Yusei and I remained quiet to let Goodwin continue his speech.

"How do you like the bridge, Yusei?" Goodwin asked. "Did you know that it was once going to connect the Satellite with New Domino City?"

"So why was it never finished?" Yusei asked.

Goodwin cast a glance at the young man next to me before looking back to the horizon. "I'm glad you asked. You see, if the construction of this bridge was ever completed, it would've given the evil that lives deep beneath the Satellite access to my precious New Domino City, and the battle that is about to begin must never reach these shores."

"But what about the people in the Satellite?"

"They will become developed in eternal darkness unless someone can save them..."

"So why aren't you using the power that you possess to get them out of there?!"

"I can't do that."

"But why?!"

"Because as long as the people in the Satellite remain there, then the darkness will stay as well."

"But why would you put the people of the Satellite at risk?!"

I could feel Yusei's upset feelings inside my heart, and it was really affecting me. When I felt how much Yusei cared about the island where he grew up on, I felt the tears reach my eyes. But I wiped them away fast and put a hand on Yusei's shoulder to calm him down.

"Yusei, the time has come for me to tell you the truth...", Goodwin sighed.

Just then the sun was arising by the horizon. I blinked at the sight. It was really beautiful. But if the darkness took over, the beautiful sights would disappear forever.

"You said you'd tell me the truth...", Yusei pulled up his sleeve, revealing his Mark. "Why don't we start with this?"

"That is the Mark of the Crimson Dragon. It belongs to those who protect our world from the darkness."

"Oh, is that all? Then why did it choose me, huh?"

"Because you are strong and selfless, Yusei. The dragon knew you would not run from a challenge or from the darkness that is coming, and this darkness is dangerous. It'll take on many forms, maybe a stranger or a friend, but you will know. For they will have the Mark of the Shadows."

"Mark of the Shadows?!" Yusei exclaimed. "You must mean the Dark Signers. I Dueled one of their drones and he had a glowing spider on his arm."

"Then the first battle of this war has already been won", Goodwin replied. "Just as you were chosen to protect the light, _they_ choose to protect the darkness. They will stop at nothing to stop you, Yusei."

"Dark Signers? Chosen protectors? But when did all this start?"

"Perhaps we should go back to the beginning. Five thousand years ago, when the war began..."

"Now we're getting somewhere. Tell us..."

Goodwin began telling me and Yusei the history of this war. The war between the shadows and Crimson Dragon and its guardians, the dragons that belonged to each Signer; Stardust Dragon, Red Dragon Archfiend, Black Rose Dragon, Ancient Fairy Dragon, and the last one that hadn't been revealed.

Light End Dragon's spirit appeared next to me when Goodwin mentioned Ancient Fairy Dragon being taken as a prisoner of the Earthbound Immortals. My white dragon let out a few sobs, but I sent her my comfort through our connection which helped Light End Dragon to calm down.

Yusei stared at his Mark before looking up at the director. "But how? And why now? I... I thought they were trapped under the ground or something. It's been five thousand years."

"It was something we could not possibly predict that would happen...", Goodwin replied. "Tell me, have you heard of the Ener-D Reactor? It was built to absorb the possible energy created through Dueling, But to create a better future, we had to take risks in the past. Years ago, a prototype was built and it was kept deep underground, below the slumps of the Satellite. Our goal was to harness the incredible energy created through the competition of Dueling and use it as positive force." He took a short break. "Imagine powering whole New Domino City by just packs of cards. We would be a beacon of the world. But then... Something happened. Instead of receiving useful positive energy, the first Ener-D Reactor had a meltdown. Negative energy erupted and split New Domino City in two. Everything above the reactor was infused with this negative energy. It became a barren wasteland of depression and became the Satellite. But the troubles didn't end there. The burst of negative energy was so strong the surface of the Earth trembled and something deep beneath was awakened."

"The Army of Shadows?" I asked.

"Exactly", Goodwin nodded. "They fed on the negative energy, slept in power until now, when they're strong enough to continue their war. We can't let that happen. I know this must all come as a shock, but I promise you that my grief is even worse than you could imagine. After all, I was in favor of its creation. I thought it would help people, but low in behold the power of this reactor has sparked a war between the Signers and the force of the darkness. But I know how to end it and I'm going to need your help. That Duel tournament wasn't held just for fun. I had some suspicions who the Signers might be and that tournament proved it. Now that I've gathered you all together, including the Priestess, you can combine your strength and defeat the Dark Signers; Those who have tried to open the Earth from prison and the shadow army."

"And if...we _can't_ stop the shadows?" Yusei asked after he had been quiet for a while.

"If that should happen, well... You've already seen a glimpse of our fate during your Duel with Jack, Estelle. Do you remember?" Goodwin replied, meaning when the Crimson Dragon showed the Signers and me the destruction of the Satellite and New Domino City.

"I can't get it out of my head... The Satellite was destroyed...", Yusei mumbled. "Can we evacuate, get all the people to safety? I've got friends there and they're stuck there, Goodwin!"

"Where would you take them?" Goodwin asked. "Satellite's first, then New Domino City would be next. The planet will be reduced to ash, but the first battle must take place in the Satellite, and that's where this negative energy is regenerated and that's where it must be stopped."

"What am I to do? Am I supposed to beat the Army of Shadows on my own?!" Yusei asked. "Am I supposed to put the safety of all my friends on my Deck?!"

"Yusei...", I held his arm to calm him down.

Goodwin pointed strictly at the Satellite. "The people need a hero, Yusei! Be that hero! Defeat the Dark Signers or let them take over! The choice is yours. What's it going to be?"

Yusei calmed down and looked at me for decision. I gave him a nod, telling him to go. When the young man got my message, he turned back to Goodwin. "I'll take these Signers on. But wait... You said there're _five_ of us, didn't you? I'm only counting four Signers. Who's the fifth?"

"I'm still working on that, Yusei", Goodwin lied, since I knew who the fifth Signer was. "But I'm sure they'll show up. For now, let's get you back to the Satellite."

A chopper suddenly appeared in front of us and lowered the hatch, revealing Yusei's Duel Runner. For a moment, I thought the Duel Runner looked like it was upgraded.

Goodwin turned to us. "Don't let the world down, Yusei." He walked back to his limo, but didn't leave yet.

I let go of Yusei's arm as we exchanged a glance. "I...guess it's time for you to go..."

Yusei nodded, "Yeah... Make sure you'll look after Luna, Akiza and Jack while I'm gone."

I nodded before I picked up a card from my jacket and handed it over to Yusei. "Here. Take this card with you as a good luck charm." The man grabbed the card and took a closer look at it. "It's one of my most valuable cards, so I want it back when we'll meet again."

"A Feather of the Phoenix?" Yusei read the Spell card.

"I have a feeling you'll have an encounter with one of the stronger Dark Signers and it might be traumatic", I explained. "I want this card be a reminder for you that even if you'll feel weak and useless, remember that you can always rise up again from your grave and strike back. Just like the fire bird that rises from its ashes over and over again when it dies."

Yusei smiled as he put the card in a pocket inside his jacket. "Thank you. I'm sure it'll give me some good luck, 'cause I think I'm going to need it."

I smiled with a nod as Yusei went into the chopper and sat down on his Duel Runner. We exchanged a last smile before the hatch closed and the chopper took off to the Satellite.

I stood there, watching the chopper leave when I heard Goodwin clear his throat. "Would you like to get a ride back to your friends?"

I turned to the director while shaking my head. "No, thanks. I've got my own ride." I looked at my Duel Disk with my Deck. "Rallis the Star Bird!"

A light flew out from the Deck and materialized said Duel Monster. Rallis let out a shriek as I heard a small gasp from Goodwin. I ignored the director and got up onto Rallis, rubbing his feathers gently. Rallis purred as he got the attention, relaxing a bit.

I turned to Goodwin with a poker face. "I hope when the war with the Dark Signers is over, you'll finish the bridge and connect the Satellite with New Domino City. It's time to reunite the people who come from the same city."

Goodwin eyed me for a second before nodding. "If that's what our new queen wish for, then so shall it be done as soon as the war is over."

I nodded in agreement before Rallis took off to the sky, leaving orange feathers and shiny powder behind.


	15. Confronting Jack

**Estelle will have an exclusive outfit only for this chapter. Link at the profile as usual.**

**And I caught a cold... I hate it!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 15: Confronting Jack**

Rallis flew me back to Blister's hideout where Tanner, Yanagi and the twins waited for me. Strangely, they were all standing outside and waved to me as Rallis lowered himself to the ground.

As soon as I got off Rallis, he returned to my Deck and the twins hit me with their double hug attack.

"We were so worried about you, Estelle!" Leo said. "You didn't come back during the whole night! We thought something had happened to you and Yusei!"

I smiled gently as I patted the twins' heads. "I'm fine, Leo, Luna. It just...took some time to talk with Goodwin and all."

"Did Yusei leave?" Luna asked worriedly.

I nodded, "Yes, but don't worry. He's got one of my good luck charms, so he'll be fine."

"Okay...", Luna mumbled as she and Leo let go of me.

I turned to Tanner and Yanagi. "Did people come here to fetch Yusei's Duel Runner?"

"Yeah", Tanner nodded. "I don't know how they were able to find Blister's place, so we decided we'll go to the Tops with the kids and stay there instead."

"Good idea", I nodded.

"So we're waiting for a cab we called for, but it haven't showed up yet", Yanagi said.

Just then a cab came to a stop in front of us.

"You were saying?" I glanced at the old man.

Yanagi laughed with a smile. "Guess I jinxed myself."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

As soon as we came to the Tops, I told briefly about what Goodwin had told me and Yusei. Let's just say the group wasn't so happy to hear about the war.

"And you think Yusei's being able to take on those Dark Signers on his own?" Tanner asked with his arms crossed.

"No", I confessed. "But we need to have Jack and Akiza on our side if we want to defeat the Dark Signers once and for all."

"But haven't you heard?" Yanagi said. "The newspaper says Jack Atlas has disappeared from the hospital he was staying in."

"I'm not surprised", I shook my head.

"So... We have to get both Jack and Akiza on our side?" Leo asked. "But how?"

Luna looked pretty concerned about this.

"I'll go look for Jack. Meanwhile, you should try to contact the Arcadia Movement to arrange a meeting with Akiza", I said before heading to the stairs.

"You know where to find Jack? He could be anywhere", Tanner pointed out.

"Don't worry. I'll find him", I said. "But first... I must change clothes to hide myself from the public. The media is still angry because they didn't get to interview me after the Fortune Cup tournament."

"Good point", Tanner nodded.

I went up to my room and changed my clothes into a new outfit for today. I decided to go with a purple sleeveless shirt with a black, long-sleeved bolero, blue jeans shorts and a purple hat. I tied my hair into two low pigtails and added my usual black boots, sunglasses and a small dark purple bag attached with a strap.

When I walked down, everyone looked at me as I was a stranger or something.

"You really look like a model that's hiding from the public", Tanner praised me. "You might attract more attention now than before."

"Thank you...", I blushed modestly.

"Good luck finding Jack Atlas out there!" Yanagi told me.

"If you even can find him", Leo grinned.

"I think Estelle will find him", Luna said.

I smiled at the group as I entered the elevator. "Thanks for the encouragement, guys."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I let Galaxy Serpent's transparent spirit come out and look for Jack up in the air. I walked down the streets among the people. A few of them snuck a glance at me, but they didn't bother me. Apparently, my disguise was working.

I looked up when Galaxy Serpent flew down to me. "_**Mistress, I found Jack not so far from here.**_"

I nodded without saying anything, but gestured to her to lead the way. I rushed after my Duel Monster and found Jack being dressed in his own disguise with Carly by his side.

"That outfit is perfect", Carly smiled. "Nobody will know it's you under there!"

"I look like a discotheque reject", Jack frowned. "I feel absurd..."

"I'd say you look more like a DJ who's about to make his debut on the stage", I commented, making the duo glance at me.

"Who are you, and why does your voice sound so familiar?" Jack asked.

Carly gaped at me. "Wait... Aren't you..."

I smiled as I pulled up my sunglasses from my glasses, revealing my face. "It's me."

"Estelle?!" Carly and Jack gasped.

Luckily the street was empty so no one could throw themselves over me for an interview or an autograph.

"Keep your voices down if you don't want to blow the cover", I hushed them.

"Oops, sorry", Carly laughed nervously.

"What are _you_ doing here? Here to gloat about your victory against me?" Jack snorted.

I frowned, "I would _never_ do such a thing, not even against a big ego like you."

"Oh, by the way, how're your bruises from that Duel with the black cloaked man?" Carly asked me.

"Bruises?" Jack arched an eyebrow.

"They're better, thanks", I replied. "I heal quickly. But you know... Since the three of us are here, why not go and have some fun?"

"Good idea!" Carly agreed.

"I hate fun", Jack replied harshly.

While the coke-bottle glasses girl tried to convince Jack, Galaxy Serpent flew down to me to whisper in my ear.

"_**Officer Trudge and Mina are spying on us. They might follow us for the rest of the day to watch over Jack.**_"

I nodded, "Okay. Thank you for the warning." Galaxy Serpent cooed before returning to my Deck that was in my bag.

"Hey, Estelle!" Carly called me. "Wanna come with us to the amusement park?"

I nodded, "Sure."

It was the first time for me to go to an amusement park with friends. I used to go to amusement parks with only my parents. So this was going to be a new experience for me.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Carly managed to convince Jack riding the most violent rides which I said no to. I liked go to amusement parks, but hated several rides that were too much for me to handle. But I had a nice time watching Carly, and Jack who never showed any signs of fun, and then the duo of Trudge and Mina who followed them in each ride.

We were now taking a small break. Carly and Jack sat on a bench while I leant against it on the side where Carly was sitting.

"That was great! We really bonded just now", Carly said.

"I've had a better time sitting and watching paint dry", Jack replied.

"Even if I didn't go with you on most of the rides, I enjoyed the time watching you", I smiled. "This is the first time I ever got to have fun with friends in an amusement park."

"Really?" Carly asked in surprise.

"Yeah", I nodded.

"I'm out of here. Consider your so-called kindness repaid", Jack got up from the bench and walked away.

"Wait!" Carly shouted, getting up and rushed after him.

I followed them too when a small boy rushed to Jack. "Jack! Jack Atlas!" the boy called.

We all stopped to look at the boy who had an excited expression.

"No", Carly went down to the boy's level. "This isn't Jack Atlas. He just looks like Jack."

But the boy wasn't convinced. "I know it's him. I'm his biggest fan! My friends all say he's a loser 'cause he lost to some girl, but I know you can win back the championship, right, Jack? You're gonna show 'em all!"

I could have sworn I felt a warm glance from Jack when he eyed the boy.

"That's nice", Jack said and patted the boy's head. "But I'm not Jack Atlas."

With that said, he left with me following him. I gave Carly a glance telling her to think about her own situation with the article she wanted to write.

"See ya later, Jack!" the boy waved his hand. "You're still the best Turbo Duelist ever!"

I turned back to the boy and waved to him with a warm smile. Then I turned back to Jack who walked down to a pond that had a fountain in the middle.

"That little boy's friends had it all right", Jack murmured. "I _am_ a loser. How could I lose that tournament? I have to make things right." He turned to me with an angry glare. "We have to settle things back again with a Duel, gal!"

"And what will that prove, Jack?" I asked honestly. "That you're so greedy that you can't live without a title and be someone you aren't?" Jack arched an eyebrow. "Could it possibly be you're actually _scared_ to show the real you to the world and wants to hide behind fame and fortune for safety? That's not the way to live."

Jack erupted a small growl from his chest before turning back to the fountain. He clenched the railing that surrounded the pond so hard his knuckle was getting white. I reached out hesitantly and put my own hand above his, making him let go of the railing. The blonde man turned to me with a confused expression, seeing how gentle I was and not treating him like dirt just because I was the new champion.

"Let's go back to Carly. She's worried about you", I said.

Jack obeyed reluctantly and let me guide him back while still holding his hand. He didn't squeeze back my hand which didn't matter to me. But I was concerned about one thing. It felt like Jack didn't act the way he usually did. Maybe because he was still suffering by his loss and saw himself as a loser.

Just as we were about to head to Carly we spotted a woman with long blonde hair talking to her. We overheard the conversation and then I felt a reaction from Jack's hand. When the blonde woman, Angela, mentioned Carly wanted to be a journalist, Jack squeezed my hand in anger. Thankfully, he didn't squeeze too hard. Carly spotted us and shook her head slightly, trying to send a message to Jack that it wasn't true what Angela was saying. But the damage had been done.

I looked up at Jack and pulled him away from the women, leading him out of the amusement park. We were both quiet for minutes when I got an idea.

"Is there anywhere you want to go, Jack?" I asked.

Jack remained quiet for a minute before he replied. "That tower..." I looked confusedly at him before he pointed up towards a tower by the horizon. "I tried to get there earlier, but I didn't have a metro rail pass or whatever that is."

I chuckled at him, making him glare at me. "Well then... Let's go." I lifted up my sunglasses to give him a playful wink.

We walked to the metro rail and I bought two tickets for us. I gave one ticket to Jack and guided him up to the monorail. We sat down next to each other while the monorail took off to the tower.

Once we were there, we went up with an elevator to the top of the tower. The sun was hitting the horizon, going down for the day. We didn't say a word to each other, just enjoying the view in front of us. But for Jack... It might have been a bit painful for him to look towards the Satellite; his old home.

"Do you miss the Satellite, Jack?" I asked in slight concern.

I heard Jack gasp out in surprise.

"Do you want to go back?" I continued. "You know you can tell me. I'm not an enemy of yours."

Jack glanced at me for a second before turning back to the seaside. "Two years ago, I gave up everything I knew to get to the city from Satellite. I betrayed my friend, the people I grew up with, I turned my back on everything I was. And what did I gain? Temporary greatness. The admiration of fickle fans who love you when you're on top but hate you when you're not. In order to be the Duelist I wanted to be, I lost sight of the Duelist that I really am. I wanted to be the greatest, but I see now that I took the easy path. Now that it's too late. I know what I really stand for."

"It's not too late, Jack", I shook my head. "Do you remember the last attack during the final? Star Eater's Starlight Breaker? I used the power I possess to make you open your eyes and heart to make you realize what foolish mistakes you made in the past, but it should have also made you realize you learned something from all that."

"That attack... It felt really warm...", Jack mumbled. "A warmth I almost forgot about..."

"And, technically, you're still the king", I added, making the blonde man turn to me with his mouth wide open in shock. "I just received the title as the Queen of Games. That should actually make us partners." I turned to Jack with a small smile. "We all know a king needs a queen by his side. So we should be partners in crime instead of being rivals."

"I'm...still the king...?" Jack mumbled.

"Estelle's right, you know", Carly spoke up behind us. "Think of it this way. Old Jack lost in a battle against Estelle and New Jack was reborn. You can do it again. You can go back to the Satellite and right your wrongs. You can say sorry to your friends and things can be like they were before."

"Besides, what's the most important thing, Jack? A title or your friends and family?" I asked him. "If someone asked me that question, I would choose family and friends because they can give you the best support than your biggest fans because they know the real you. Don't hide behind a title. You can shine brighter than any other stars in the universe by revealing your true self. Except you need to cut down your big ego." Carly giggled at my last comment.

Jack was quiet for a moment before he came to a realization. "You know what? You're right. I can still do this." He took off his sunglasses and turned to me and Carly. "That's it. No more hiding. No more feeling sorry for myself." He threw up his hat. "It's time to move on!"

Carly gasped, "Jack, that was my hat..."

"Sorry about that", Jack apologized. "It's time for me to show the world who I really am!"

"That's the spirit", I nodded with a big smile.

Carly held up the bag she had carried all the time. "Then you'll need this!"

Once Jack had changed back into his usual outfit he turned to Carly with a smirk. "Write whatever you want about me."

"Actually, I decided I'm not gonna write the article", Carly confessed. "New Domino City will just use it as an excuse to point their fingers at you, and I don't want to be part of that."

Jack was surprised by it, but gave Carly a small smile. "Thank you, Carly..."

I turned to Carly with a smile. "By the way, Carly... I didn't get to thank you before when you helped me and Yusei get away in time, but it must have been a disaster for you being arrested."

"It's okay. I'm just glad you and Yusei are safe now", Carly smiled.

"How about this? I'll give you an exclusive interview as a thank you, and I promise no other journalists will get to interview me", I suggested.

Carly's eyes must have widened behind her glasses due to her shocking expression. "A-Are you serious...?"

I nodded, "But I'll only answers to questions concerning the Fortune Cup. Is that okay?"

"It's more than okay! It's absolutely fantastic!" Carly jumped up and down excitedly. "I might get a bonus and become a real journalist now!" She jumped onto me to give me a bear hug. "Thank you, Estelle! You saved my life!"

I chuckled with a smile before returning the hug. "You're welcome, Carly. You're my friend." I glanced up at Jack who watched us with a poker face and arms crossed. "Even those who need to lighten up and let people help them."

"Very funny", Jack scoffed before heading to the elevator.

"Jack? Wait for us!" Carly shouted as she pulled me along.

I laughed at the duo as we went to the elevator. They were certainly an interesting duo.


	16. Dark Signs

**I thought the silhouettes of Yusei as an Enforcer in "Dark Signs, Part 2" looked really cool and...handsome... *Sigh* I was close going into fangirl mode. ^^' **

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 16: Dark Signs**

I came home quite late because of the exclusive interview with Carly. The twins had saved dinner for me which Tanner had cooked. So I ate my dinner and went straight to bed because I was so tired after being up a whole night. But I knew it was going to be another sleepless night because of the upcoming events in the Satellite.

I was sleeping really deeply when I heard the voice of the Crimson Dragon echo in my head.

"_**Priestess, you have to go.**_"

I opened my eyes to see the red figure of said dragon in spirit form float above me. "Crimson Dragon...?" I rubbed my sleepy eyes before I put on my glasses.

"_**Yusei is about to Duel a Dark Signer. You must come to his aid.**_"

My Star Mark started glowing with slight pain. I flinched and grabbed my arm, knowing the signals. I checked my alarm clock and saw it was 11:25 PM, not even midnight.

I quickly went to the bathroom and washed my face to get rid of the sleepiness. Then I changed from my nightgown into my casual outfit and tied up my hair into a high ponytail. I grabbed my Duel Disk and strapped it onto my left arm. Once I was done, I went out of my room to meet up with Luna in the living room. Her Mark was glowing too, making her watch it with a worried expression.

"Estelle...", she spoke with a low voice when she saw me. "Yusei's in trouble..."

"I know", I nodded, heading to the glass door leading to the terrace. "That's why I'm going."

"No!" Luna gasped. "What if you get hurt?"

I slid open the glass door and stepped out to the terrace. "I'll be fine. I've got my Duel Monsters if something would go wrong."

"B-But still...", Luna whined.

I turned to her with a small assuring smile. "I'll come back with no scratch on me."

Luna still looked worried, but I ignored it as I walked to the edge of the terrace. I held up my arm with the Duel Disk and concentrated to summon one of my Synchro Monsters. "Star Eater!"

A powerful light erupted from my Deck as it flew up in the air and materialized said dragon. He bent down his head so I could climb onto his neck.

"Let's go to the Satellite!" I ordered.

"_**Yes, Mistress!**_" Star Eater replied.

My star dragon spread his wings and flew off, heading to the Satellite. While we were heading to the island, we met up with a helicopter with Jack, Mina and Carly. Carly saw me from the window and gasped loudly before she looked down on her lap doing something.

Suddenly I felt my cell phone vibrate in the pocket of my jacket. I picked it up and saw it was Carly. I answered the call. "Hello?"

"_Estelle? What are you doing here?!_" Carly asked.

"I'm going to the Satellite!" I replied.

There was some ruffle in the cell phone before I heard Jack's voice. "_Your Mark started glowing too?_"

"Yes, it did", I replied. "And I don't want to have an argument, Jack. I'm coming with you."

"_Whatever, just keep your dragon away from us before its wings hit us_", Jack said.

"Still the same Jack", I commented before cancelling the call.

"_**Let us go, Mistress!**_" Star Eater growled before flying up ahead.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

When we arrived to the Satellite I spotted a big purple mark covering a huge area of the old sector and another one above in the air. It was the Nazca Line of the Giant, meaning the Dark Signer Yusei was Shadow Turbo Dueling against was Kalin Kessler.

"_**What now, Mistress?**_" Star Eater asked. "_**Want to let you down, or you will watch from above?**_"

"I...", I cold sweated in fear. "I don't know yet..."

I could feel the strength of the darkness and it was terrifying. It was the worst feeling I ever had. Not even the painful times when I was bullied hurt so bad.

"_**Relax, Mistress**_", Star Eater told me. "_**If you get worked up, you will only let the darkness take over you.**_"

I swallowed before changing my expression into seriousness. "Let them try. I was always able to stand up again even when I was bullied or encountered a difficult situation."

"_**I know, Mistress. I know...**_"

The helicopter with Jack, Mina and Carly flew down to the ground as Star Eater remained in the air. I could swear I heard Kalin's maniac laughter reach my ears when he spotted Jack in the helicopter.

I started sweating even more as my breath went into a rhythmic pattern. Was it the adrenaline that was pumping within me?

"Crimson Dragon... What shall I do?" I mumbled.

"_**Remain alert. You will know when it is time for you to enter the scene.**_"

"But what about Kalin? Does the Dark Signers know who I am or is my identity safe?"

"_**Unfortunately, they are aware of your powers. So it does not matter if you fly down to join your friends.**_"

It didn't make things better for me, so I came up with a decision. I remained in the background with Star Eater to watch and observe the Turbo Duel.

I knew what Kalin was talking about with Yusei; their old times as the Enforcers and when they were a team. But then Kalin betrayed his friends, making Yusei, Jack and Crow believe they would never see their old friend again.

I could feel the pain of both Yusei and Jack in my heart, knowing they were both grieving for losing an old friend who turned on the wrong side.

Just then Kalin and Yusei began Shadow Turbo Dueling, driving around within the Giant Mark.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Kalin Dark Synchro summoned his ace dragon Hundred Eyes Dragon which looked really disgusting in my point of view. All those eyeballs blinking and looking around was too much for me to handle. I was able to watch the series on TV because it was animated, but now it was real. The scene suddenly reminded me of a horror movie, and I hated those kinds of movies.

Hundred Eyes Dragon was about to attack Yusei's Junk Warrior when the raven-haired man activated his Trap card Scrap-Iron Scarecrow, but then Kalin countered back by using Hundred Eyes Dragon's special ability to use the effect of Infernity Beast in the Graveyard and negate Yusei from activating any Spell or Trap cards as long as Kalin's hand remained empty.

Hundred Eyes Dragon attacked Junk Warrior and destroyed him, but the attack reached Yusei who spun around violently out of control. However, he managed to regain control of his Duel Runner.

I sighed in relief, but couldn't shake off the terrible feeling. I knew what was going to happen at the end of the Turbo Duel and it frightened me.

When the Turbo Duel came to a pause, I knew it was Kalin who told Yusei about the time when he saved Yusei's life.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Hundred Eyes Dragon was about to attack Yusei once again with its special ability, and I remembered clearly this scene. It was not the end, but I couldn't let Yusei get hurt already.

"I have to do something and fast!" I said.

"_**You cannot interfere the Duel, Mistress!**_" Star Eater retorted.

"I'm not going to interfere! I want to protect Yusei from the realistic attacks!"

"_**Okay then!**_"

I pulled up my sleeve to reveal my glowing pentagram Mark and held it with my other hand. I closed my eyes and concentrated to transfer some of my power and energy to Yusei's Mark so he could protect himself from the attack and avoid the purple flames.

I felt my body lightened up as a red aura surrounded me and my Mark started glowing brighter. I sent a pulse of energy to Yusei, hoping his Mark would accept it.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

"You were right. I should've let you fall!" Kalin said. "And now I'm gonna make up for it! So I activate another of my dragon's special abilities!" Hundred Eyes Dragon opened all his eyes again. "Now he gets Destroyer's power! And trust me when I say the damage you're about to take is nothing compared to the damage I've been carrying around all these years because of you!" The eye dragon gathered dark energy in its mouth. "And when I did, you turned your back on me!"

Hundred Eyes Dragon released the energy towards Yusei who cried out in fear. The blast was about to hit him when his Mark started glowing. He felt a warm aura surround him when the blast hit him.

**Yusei: 2600 - 1800**

**Kalin: 4000**

Yusei had closed his eyes when the blast had hit him, but he didn't feel any pain. He opened his eyes and realized he wasn't hurt nor he lost control of his Duel Runner.

Kalin wasn't so surprised about it. "Well, well, looks like you've got a little guardian angel watching over you, Yusei, or should I say _Priestess_?"

Yusei gasped when Kalin said the last word and looked up at the sky. He saw the giant form of Star Eater and a red-glowing figure sitting on his neck. "Estelle?!"

"That's right, you can't even protect yourself. You need a weak woman by your side", Kalin mocked.

Yusei growled at the way Kalin mocked about him and Estelle. But he didn't want to break the chain of the hot conversation they had about why Kalin changed. "I just wish I knew why you changed!"

"Don't you get it yet, old friend?" Kalin said.

"No!"

"Then I guess I'll have to spell it out for you. You knew the only way the Satellite could be ours was if we eliminated every threat. We were a team until you convinced Crow and Jack to take me down. So I took it upon myself to take on the only enemy that remained; Sector Security. I couldn't let them ruin everything we accomplished. So I did what I had to do, until you stopped me that night. You let me fall hard and fast, now I'm going to make good on my promise!"

"You were blinded by your dream. But now that I know you Duel to destroy, I'm taking you out!"

"You're wrong, 'cause your days of Dueling are about to end!"

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I sighed in relief that my power helped Yusei, but the main part wasn't over. I spotted Yusei's friends rushing over to Crow to watch the Turbo Duel, but I thought they also saw Star Eater flying above the glowing Nazca Line because one of them pointed towards us.

Yusei's Duel Runner showed clear signs that it could give up any minute. But it didn't stop Yusei from Synchro summoning Stardust Dragon.

Stardust Dragon managed to destroy Hundred Eyes Dragon with Yusei's combo. I was smiling happily when I suddenly got a strong headache. I clutched my head and moaned in pain. The throbbing calmed down fast, but I could sense the Earthbound Immortal's darkness was ready to show its full strength.

"_**Mistress, it is going to be extremely dangerous now**_", Star Eater spoke up. "_**I am letting you down by Yusei's comrades.**_"

"Okay", I nodded.

Star Eater dived down to the hill where Crow and the gang were. They were busy talking about Yusei had the maximum chance to win the Duel now, that they didn't notice my dragon approach them until I jumped down and landed gracefully behind them.

Crow noticed me as he looked through the crowd of Yusei's four friends. "Huh?" He blinked once before gasping in realization. "Wait a second! You're the new champion of New Domino City!"

Rally, Tank, Nervin and Blitz looked over their shoulders and gasped when they saw me. "It's Estelle!" Rally said excitedly.

"I never thought it would meet the new champion!" Tank said excitedly.

"Skip the cheerfulness. The Duel is not over yet", I told the group. "In fact, we're reaching the powerful climax..."

"_**Indeed**_", Star Eater rumbled above me before he turned into a light and flew back to my Deck.

"What do you mean?" Blitz asked with an arching eyebrow.

"Are you saying Yusei's gonna lose?!" Nervin exclaimed.

"Yes and no", I said as I walked up to them to watch the Turbo Duel through Crow's Duel Runner's monitor. "But I would prefer if you prepare yourselves for a...dark lightshow."

The boys blinked confusedly before they turned their attention back at the monitor.

Kalin had just summoned two Ghost Tokens to the field when people in black cloaks appeared in the purple flames.

"Hey, when'd they show up there?" Blitz asked.

"Here it comes...", I cold sweated. "The offering to summon the Earthbound Immortal..."

"Earthbound Immortal?" Rally repeated the name confusedly.

"Whatever it is, I don't like the sound of that", Nervin said.

"They must be the people that those Dark Signers hypnotized and took them underground", Crow murmured.

The monitor showed the scared people that turned into purple lights and shot up to the sky. We looked up to see the spirits gather at one spot with a certain "seed" in the middle, feeding it until it grew to its awakened form.

The earth was trembling along with a powerful whirlwind until it calmed down to reveal the Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu. Its hand was almost close to hit the helicopter that was still soaring in the air with Jack, Mina and Carly.

"That...is really big", Crow commented at the Earthbound Immortal.

The eye of Ccapac Apu glowed for a second which made me have another headache. But it didn't fade away immediately. I had to lean against Blitz for support as I clutched my head.

"Hey!" Blitz said, holding me up. "You okay?"

"Isn't she cold sweating?" Rally pointed out.

I opened my eyes, feeling my energy being drained by the darkness around us. "The...Earthbound Immortal... Is it absorbing...my energy?"

"Hey, look!" Nervin shouted out. "She has a glowing Mark just like Yusei!"

I ignored the comments as I felt the headache finally leave, but the draining of my energy had affected me roughly. I could barely stand on my feet as I tried to focus on the last part of the Turbo Duel.

Yusei tried to use Stardust Dragon and Scrap-Iron Scarecrow to stop Ccapac Apu, but it didn't work.

I could feel Yusei's fear inside my heart, making me yell out his name desperately. "YUSEI!"

I didn't know how it happened, but in the next second I was sitting on one of the necks of Sun Dragon Inti as the sun dragon headed towards the Turbo Duel.

Yusei's Duel Runner finally gave up. When Ccapac Apu was about to grab him, Sun Dragon Inti used his Sunlight Blaster to stop the Earthbound Immortal's hand as I concentrated on making a shield around Yusei to protect him.

Ccapac Apu roared in pain as there were four holes on its hand, meaning Sun Dragon Inti had managed to do some damage. But it was worse for Yusei. He actually got hurt by all the debris and concrete that got smashed up by Ccapac Apu, even though I had activated a shield around him.

When the scene calmed down Sun Dragon Inti lowered himself to the ground so I could jump off and run to Yusei. I gasped in shock when I saw Yusei had blood stains around his abdomen where he had a piece of metal stabbed into him just like as in the Japanese version of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. The man made grunting noises as he struggled against the pain.

I knelt down next to him and put a hand on his cheek where he had his marker as I slowly turned him a little, making him lay on his back. Yusei stopped shivering in pain and slowly opened his eyes. "E-Estelle...?"

"Shh, save your energy...", I hushed him with tears in my eyes.

I heard Sun Dragon Inti roar at Ccapac Apu as Kalin rode up to us with a sneer. "And when the moment all hope is lost, Yusei's crumply Duel Runner breaks! Officially ending the Duel before the Duel could officially end him!"

I glared at the Dark Signer while trying to help Yusei to get rid of the pain he felt. The raven-haired man moaned in pain as he leant his cheek against my hand.

Kalin laughed joyfully. "Just look at you! You're so pathetic! You may have managed to survive this little encounter, but I'm afraid you can't fight your fate. You can't stop the Satellite from being obliterated! And you can't save yourself!" He held up the card of Ccapac Apu. "Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu, come back to me now!"

Sun Dragon Inti and Ccapac Apu shared one last glaring contest before the Earthbound Immortal returned to its card.

Kalin looked back at Yusei. "What was it that tournament MC started calling you? Satellite's Shooting Star? More like Satellite's _Falling_ Star!" He turned around with his Duel Runner. "See ya around, Yusei, Crimson Star Priestess!" His laugh echoed around us as the purple flames disappeared, telling us all the Shadow Duel was over.

Yusei's friends rushed over to us as Sun Dragon Inti returned to my Deck. I wondered for a second why Sun Dragon Inti suddenly came out from his card without me summoning him.

"My gut...", Yusei groaned in pain.

The others were about to touch Yusei when Crow drove down to us with his Duel Runner. "Don't touch him! I'll take him to Martha's place", the carrot-head said.

"Good idea...", Nervin nodded.

Blitz and Tank pulled up Yusei carefully and placed him on Crow's Duel Runner.

"Is Martha still at the Notting district?" Blitz asked as he adjusted Yusei's unconscious body on the Duel Runner.

"Yeah, we'll see ya there", Crow nodded before taking off.

We watched as Crow took off, heading to Martha's place.

"I hope he'll be okay...", Rally mumbled worriedly.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yusei is a strong man. He'll be fine as soon as they attend him." I looked up at the sky, watching the helicopter leave the area. I could feel Jack's worriedness, but then I realized something important!

*_Hur kommer det sig att jag inte kände Yuseis smärta när han blev skadad? Jag har ju trots allt ett emotionellt band med varenda Signer! __(How come I didn't feel Yusei's pain when he got injured? I have, after all, an emotional bond with every Signer!)_*

The older boys were about to leave when Rally called them. "We can't just leave Yusei's Runner!" Yusei's Duel Runner was really mangled and even had a punctured tire.

"Yeah, we have to get it to Martha's place", I agreed.

"Get real, you two!" Nervin retorted. "We can't push that thing all the way to Martha's! It'll slow us down! Besides, when we get to Reaper Road, a Runner like that is gang-bait!"

"And you don't think someone will steal it if we leave it out there?" Rally retorted. "We can't just let that happen. There's a piece of every one of us in this Duel Runner."

Nervin and Blitz didn't look so convinced when Tank spoke up. "The kid's got a point. We all pitched in to help building that thing. Remember? We spent weeks adding and gathering parts we thought could be useful and we brought everything back to Yusei. And when Yusei revved the engine for the first time, it was a feeling that I'll never forget. It was like we really accomplished something. Together!" The story made me smile, seeing that Yusei had such wonderful friends. "We gotta bring it!"

"He's right!" Blitz nodded. "That Runner is a testament to the power of our friendship."

"What he said", Tank nodded.

"Then come and help us", I said as I knelt down to pull up the Duel Runner with Rally.

Blitz and Tank rushed over to help us, but Nervin sighed at their actions. "Geez! Don't blame me if we get jumped!"

"That won't happen. I promise", I assured Nervin.

Nervin looked hesitantly before he shrugged and helped us.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The road to Martha's house was really creepy. The tall buildings cast scary shadows over the road as we rolled Yusei's Duel Runner. I was walking in front of the group as I looked around in caution if someone would try to steal the Runner. I heard the silent laughter from people hiding in the buildings.

"I could really go for a donut right about now", Tank groaned hungrily.

"When could you _not_ go for a donut, Tank?" Blitz sighed.

"We still got a long way to go, so don't you start complaining now!" Nervin growled.

"Guys, calm down", I told them. "I know you guys are scared, tired and hungry, but Yusei needs you right now."

"She's right", Rally nodded.

Just then a large group of people came out from the buildings, having facial expressions as zombies.

"You guys lost something?" one of them spoke.

"Nice Runner, by the way", another one commented.

"Uh-oh...", Nervin cold sweated.

"There is a toll for passing through outcasts, you know", one of the people said.

"And your shiny red bike should take care of it", a fourth person said.

My old self would actually be scared by this mock of people, but ever since I arrived to this dimension, started Dueling and discovered my power... I felt like a new self of mine that had been sleeping deep beneath me had been awakened.

I stepped up, holding up my activated Duel Disk. "Let us pass through or else..."

"Look, isn't that the new champion?" the second person said.

"I think so, but it's so dark I can't see her face", a fifth person replied.

"Then maybe we should turn on the lights", I said as I drew one of my Synchro Monsters from the Extra Deck. "Come forth, Moon Dragon Quilla!"

Once I placed said dragon's card on my Duel Disk, she appeared under the light of the moon. Her four heads roared simultaneously with a threatening expression at the mock of people.

The mock screamed in terrible fear and scattered around, not wanting to face the wrath of Moon Dragon Quilla. Soon the street was empty and clear to pass, except a few socks and shoes that were left behind by those people.

I turned to the boys with a smile. "And that's how you solve the problems." Moon Dragon Quilla lowered one of her heads, making me smile at her and rub her muzzle.

"Whoa... That was awesome...", Tank commented.

"Geez! I don't want to end up being that dragon's dinner", Nervin said.

I laughed at Nervin's comment. "Don't worry. My Synchro dragons don't eat any humans for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert." Moon Dragon Quilla flew up in the air, being our guardian angel.

"Come on, let's go before that mock comes back", Blitz said.

"Yeah!" Rally nodded.

We were about to move on when a voice spoke up from the shadows. "Mind if I help out?"

We turned to the direction where the voice came from as Moon Dragon Quilla lowered down to the ground with a growl.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Blitz shouted.

The stranger stepped out from the shadows, revealing a man I haven't seen for quite a while.

"Blister!"

"Yo", Blister greeted by lifting up a hand. "Long time no see, Estelle."

"Same to you, Blister", I said with a smile.

"Blister? You really freaked us out for a minute", Tank said.

Blister chuckled, "Sorry about that." He walked up to us. "Congratulations for your victory at the Fortune Cup, Estelle."

"Thank you, but I don't care that I'm the new champion", I shook my head.

Rally looked at me with a curious expression which I found was cute. Just then I felt a yawn incoming so I blocked it with my mouth. I picked up my cell phone and checked the time. It was way past midnight, around 1:30 AM.

"Another sleepless night...", I sighed.

"_**You can ride on me while we follow your friends**_", Moon Dragon Quilla rumbled.

"Are you sure?"

"_**Of course, Mistress. Climb on.**_"

Moon Dragon Quilla lowered one of her necks and let me climb onto her. I turned to the group as my dragon floated slowly up in the air. "I'll follow you guys from above."

"Okay!" Rally waved his hand at me.

I smiled at the gesture and looked up ahead. It was going to be a long way to Martha's place.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

It took 45 minutes to get to Martha's place, if you included the times when we had to stop and face several thieves who wanted Yusei's Duel Runner. But Moon Dragon Quilla scared them off easily by growling warningly and exposing her sharp teeth.

I felt my eyelids wanting to close for some sleep, but I endured myself as Moon Dragon Quilla let me down when we reached Martha's house. The house looked actually bigger than I first thought, and there was vegetation surrounding the small area.

"This is it", Blitz said after the boys had placed Yusei's Duel Runner against the wall.

"I really, _really_ hope he's okay", Rally said worriedly.

I was worried myself of Yusei's condition. I decided to stay and wait for the good news before I would go back to New Domino City. So I called back Moon Dragon Quilla to her card before we stepped inside, meeting a quiet Crow who was leaning against the railing of the stairs.

"Hey, Crow, any news?" Nervin asked.

Crow shook his head. "Nothing yet. They're doing a surgery to pull out that piece of metal from Yusei's abdomen."

Tank, Nervin, Blister and Blitz sat down against the wall as Rally and I sat down next to each other on the stairs. The little boy huddled to me, resting his head on my lap while holding Yusei's helmet. I smiled at Rally and put an arm around him, closing my eyes for some rest.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I didn't know how much time passed by, but soon we heard the door to the infirmary open. We all stood up as Martha and Dr. Schmidt walked out.

"Tell us, Doc! How's he doing?!" Crow asked desperately.

"It looks like he'll make a complete recovery", Martha assured us with a smile.

"He'll need a few more days of rest in bed, but he'll be just fine", Dr. Schmidt said. "Just keep him from underground Duels for a while, okay?"

We all sighed in relief by the good news.

"Now what?" Nervin asked.

"Now we'll go find that Dark Signer and make him pay!" Crow growled.

"No!" I quickly said, making everyone look at me. "Did you not see the strength Kalin possessed during the Turbo Duel? If one of you tries to Duel him, you won't survive until your next turn."

"But...", Crow tried to argue.

"I don't know the entire story, but I think your friend is right", Martha said. "It's also late. We should all go to bed and sleep."

"Then I guess I should head back to New Domino City...", I was about to take a step when I became very dizzy and lost my balance. I was about to hit the floor when Blister caught me.

"Estelle? You okay?" the cowboy asked.

I massaged my forehead, trying to get rid of the suddenly tiredness I was feeling. "I'm fine... It's just... This is the second night in a row I didn't get to sleep..."

"Then you should stay here for the night and go back home to New Domino City in the morning", Martha told me. "Come. I'll show you where you can rest."

I nodded as Martha let me hold on her shoulder as we walked upstairs to the bedrooms. Martha opened a door and helped me walk over to a bed. I sat down and released my hair from the ponytail I still had put up.

"If you'll be looking for the bathroom, it's at the end of the corridor", Martha told me.

"Thank you...", I nodded.

Martha smiled warmly. "By the way... You wouldn't happen to be the same Estelle who won the Fortune Cup?"

I chuckled lightly. "I guess people in the Satellite know about me as well."

Martha chuckled, "Well, I can tell you have a little fan in this house, but she's sleeping for the moment. I hope you can meet her in the morning."

I nodded, "I'm looking forward to it, but I might leave early."

"I understand. Good night, and sleep well."

"Thank you, Martha. And you too."

Martha smiled before she left the room and closed the door. I sighed by tiredness before I took off my Duel Disk and jacket and placed them on a nearby chair. I picked up my cell phone and set the alarm so the cell phone would wake me up half past 6 in the morning and placed it next to my head on the bed.

I crawled into the covers and fell immediately asleep, hoping I wouldn't have any nightmares by tonight's Duel.


	17. The Arcadia Movement – Part 1

**Sorry to disappoint a few of you, but Estelle will return to New Domino City. But there will be slight shipping.**

**And Estelle will be wearing different clothes again for the visit at the Arcadia Movement. You can find the link for her appearance on my profile as usual.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 17: The Arcadia Movement – Part 1**

My cell phone started ringing at the time I had set it on. I groaned as I reached out for the cell phone and shut it off. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, realizing I had been sleeping with my glasses.

I sat up at the edge of the bed and rubbed out the sleepiness from my eyes before I stood up. I walked out to the corridor that was silent and went to the bathroom. I washed my face and did the morning routine before I walked back to the room I slept in.

I put on my jacket and Duel Disk before walking downstairs, listening after sounds if someone was awake. And so far, I didn't hear anything.

When I was downstairs, I looked at the door leading to the infirmary. I could feel Yusei struggling against a nightmare. I looked around before slowly opening the door and went inside. There was a curtain in the middle of the room which I slowly moved aside.

Yusei was sleeping on a medical bed. His face was screwed up by the nightmare he had. I felt bad seeing him like that as I approached the bed. I didn't say anything. I just watched him. But then I decided to do something about the nightmare.

I brushed aside Yusei's bangs carefully with my fingertips and placed a small kiss on his forehead. Yusei's eyes stirred for a moment before his body started relaxing. I smiled at his reaction before I left the infirmary and walked outside.

I thought it would be best if I summoned one of my Duel Monsters somewhere else and not straight outside of Martha's house. I didn't want to cause a commotion.

I walked away from the house to the deserted streets of the Satellite. When I stood in the middle of a big plaza, I held up my Duel Disk in the air.

"Light End Dragon!"

A white light flew out from the Deck and formed said dragon in front of me.

"_**Good morning, Mistress**_", Light End Dragon greeted. "_**I've heard what happened by Star Eater and the celestial twins.**_"

I nodded, "Then I don't have to explain things." Light End Dragon let me sit onto her neck. "Let's go back home."

"_**Yes, Mistress.**_"

Light End Dragon flapped her wings as she took off to the sky.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

When Light End Dragon made it to the Tops, she let me off at the terrace where Tanner and Yanagi were waiting for me.

"Yo", Tanner greeted. "Good to see you're okay."

"I was worried when Luna woke us up and told us you didn't come back during the whole night", Yanagi said.

"A lot of things happened", I replied. "How're the twins?"  
"Really worried about you", Tanner said.

"And Leo's thinking he's the fifth Signer because Luna said she had a dream about the original battle with the Crimson Dragon and the Shadows, and there was one dragon that looked like Leo's Power Tool Dragon", Yanagi explained.

I sweat dropped, "Why am I not surprised? But it's kinda understandable." The two men blinked confusedly. "Leo wants to be there for his sister and help her as much as he can. They have a bond that only twins understand."

"You've got a point", Tanner nodded.

"Estelle!"

In the next second, I felt a pair of arms embrace my waist. I looked down to see an excited Leo grinning at me.

"I realized I must be the fifth Signer! I've got the same dragon that Luna saw in her dream!" Leo let go of my waist to jump up and down excitedly. "I'm a superhero just like you and Yusei!"

I laughed nervously. "Maybe so..."

We all walked inside and I got a hug from Luna too. We sat down by the couch as I told them what happened.

"The Army of Shadows must have become stronger during the years they've been sleeping", Yanagi commented after I finished the story.

"It was terrifying...", I shivered. "When the Earthbound Immortal was summoned, I felt my power and energy being drained for a moment, and when Yusei got hurt..." I intertwined my hands in praying. "The darkness felt more powerful than I imagined..."

"Is Yusei...going to be okay?" Luna asked worriedly.

I nodded, "Yeah, I hope so..." I relaxed my body as I turned to Tanner. "Did you contact the Arcadia Movement?"

"Yeah, I was about to tell you, but I felt like you should tell us what happened during the night because the news did say the Nazca Line of the Giant appeared at the Satellite", Tanner said. "Anyway, I arranged a meeting with Sayer, the boss of the Arcadia Movement, and we're invited to dinner this evening."

"I hope we can get Akiza on our side", I said.

"Sorry if I say this, but I'm a bit skeptical about Akiza", Tanner interrupted. "She might be a Signer, but her powers are destructive."

"Because Sayer has manipulated her that violence is the only way to solve problems", I retorted. "But if I can talk to her and make her open her heart and eyes, she'll become a new person."

"Your speech...somehow reminds me of Jack Atlas", Yanagi said.

"You must mean the time when Star Eater used Starlight Breaker to open his heart and see things in another way", I said. "I guess it worked because Jack finally realized what he had done and has become the old Jack he used to be back at the Satellite."

"So the rumors about Jack being born in the Satellite are true?" Leo asked.

"Yes", I nodded. "But I won't say more about it now."

"Understandable", Tanner nodded. "By the way..." He opened Blister's notebook computer and typed on it. "The exclusive interview you had with that Carly Carmine is up now."

"Really?" my eyes widened in surprise.

Tanner nodded as he pushed the computer over to me. "Take a look."

The twins sat by each of my side as Yanagi looked over my shoulder from behind to read the interview. There were a couple of photos among the interview; one from the Kaiba Dome when I had just become the new champion and a picture Carly made when I had been dressed in my disguise.

"Very positive answers you replied to the questions", Yanagi commented.

"It really shows you're not so full of yourself as Jack used to be", Luna agreed.

"And you even said at the end of the interview that Jack is still the King of Games. You just became the Queen of Games, meaning both of you should be champions and Duel together as a team", Leo read the last part of the article. "Cool!"

I blushed by all the compliments. "Thank you, guys..."

Tanner stood up from the couch. "Well, I'll make some breakfast for you if you're hungry, Estelle."

"Thanks, Tanner, but I can make the breakfast myself", I said as I put away the computer and stood up. "I wonder if I even can put something inside my stomach after last night's horror..."

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

"Akiza hasn't been herself lately...", one of the psychics of the Arcadia Movement told Sayer.

Sayer looked up from his computer. "How come?"

"Well, she almost lost against one of our Duel drones."

Sayer frowned as he got up from his chair and walked out of his office, heading to the Duel arena in the Arcadia Movement. He didn't like the new development of Akiza. She had slowly started thinking on her own and would often lose herself in deep thoughts, and the most important thing; her powers were weakening. Sayer growled through his teeth as he remembered the two persons who could be responsible for Akiza's new actions.

*_Yusei Fudo and Estelle Malmström... Those two could be big trouble. I have to speak with Akiza and make her go back into her old self_*, he thought with a maniac smile.

Akiza was standing outside of the arena, thinking about the words Estelle and Yusei had told her during her time at the Fortune Cup.

*_What if they said was true? And what about Estelle when she said she's just like me?_* she thought. *_I... I don't understand, but... I want to..._*

"Akiza."

Said girl looked up to see Sayer approach her.

"That was an impressive Duel", Sayer said.

"Yeah, right", Akiza snorted, knowing Sayer didn't mean it.

"You're too hard on yourself. Whatever's troubling you, you can _always_ tell me. We're family."

"I'm fine. I just need to rest."

"Come on. I've known you too long for you to start lying. I saved you, or don't you remember? You were an outcast with frightening powers. You had no friends. No one wanted to be around you. They'd stare from afar. Watching. Whispering. Laughing. Even your own parents didn't want anything to do with you. And when you were ready to throw away your future, who was it that saved you? Me; Sayer. And now you're one of our Arcadia's most powerful girls, surrounded by friends who share your abilities. All thanks to yours truly. At the very least, you could tell me what's really going on. Why are you distracted? What's so important that you're risking all that we've accomplished?"

Akiza was feeling down by the pain that remained from her past, but she didn't want to tell Sayer the truth. "I said it's nothing." She walked past Sayer without saying anything else.

Sayer just smirked at her. "Or is it Yusei Fudo and Estelle Malmström?" That made Akiza stop on her tracks. "You don't have to be psychic to figure it out. You think you can run off, living a normal life and having true friends fighting the battles for you? I'm afraid your place will always be here."

Akiza clenched her fist before she walked back to her room. She stepped out to the balcony and remembered the talk she shared with Estelle during the first day of the Fortune Cup, then the semifinal Duel against Yusei and the last part when Estelle came rushing out to stop her.

"They were the first two to see me as a normal person...", Akiza mumbled before looking up at the sky. "Could they...truly understand what I've been through? Can they look past my powers?"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

At the same time, in Martha's house, Yusei was once again struggling with the nightmare from the night's battle.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_Yusei was running in a black universe with purple lightshows and the Nazca Line of the Giant glowing above him. He could hear Kalin's maniac laughter echoing around him as he kept running with sweat running down his face that showed pure fear._

"You can _never_ escape the darkness, Yusei!"_ Kalin's voice echoed. _"Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu, crush him!"

_Yusei looked over his shoulder to see the giant Earthbound Immortal reach its hand towards him. He gasped in fear when he suddenly tripped and fell down on the ground. He looked up to see the hand approach him, but then Stardust Dragon flew by._

"Stardust Dragon!"_ Yusei called._

_Stardust Dragon roared warningly at Ccapac Apu, but the giant Earthbound Immortal punched the dragon so hard he was thrown into one of the purple lightshows roaring in pain._

"NO!"_ Yusei screamed as he slowly got up on his knees._

_Ccapac Apu was reaching its hand once again at the Signer. Yusei was scared. This was going to be the end for him._

_Yusei closed his eyes, preparing himself for his fate when there was a bright crimson light and the pained roar of Ccapac Apu. The raven-haired man opened his eyes to see a woman stand in front of him, holding out her right hand to make a crimson shield which sparkled when the Earthbound Immortal tried to reach them._

_The woman was dressed in some kind of red outfit with a pair of red bird wings on her back and her chocolate hair ruffled violently by the impact._

"Who are you?!"_ Yusei asked._

_The woman turned slowly her head, her face hidden by the shadows, and put on a familiar smile..._

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yusei gasped as he finally woke up and sat up fast on the bed he was laying on. He grunted in pain when he felt his sore abdomen throb by the sudden action.

Martha moved aside the curtain that surrounded the bed. "Well, look who's awake."

Yusei gasped when he saw his foster mother. "Martha? What happened?"

"You took a nasty fall off your Runner and Crow brought you here", Martha explained.

"Nasty fall?" Yusei said confusedly before he remembered what happened during the night. "Oh, yeah, there was a Duel between me and Kalin!"

"When you were little I told you Dueling was dangerous", Martha scolded the young man. "Now you're a wreck!" She nodded to the window where Yusei could see the children of the orphanage and other people taking care of his mangled Duel Runner. "Check out your Runner." Yusei was surprised see his Duel Runner outside of Martha's house. "Surprised? Your friends pushed it all the way here."

"Through the Satellite?" Yusei asked with pure shock in his voice.

"They had lots of encounters with thieves and all, but thanks to Estelle they got here safely", Martha explained.

Yusei blinked confusedly. "Estelle?" Then he gasped when he remembered seeing Star Eater during the Turbo Duel and how the young woman had tried to protect him. "Is she still here?"

Martha shook her head. "No, she left quite early in the morning before anyone of us was awake." Yusei's shoulders sank by the disappointment which Martha noticed. "You two are close to each other, aren't you?"

Yusei avoided eye contact with his foster mother, feeling a bit embarrassed. "We're...good friends." He decided to change the topic. "How's the Satellite, Martha?"

"Things has been tough lately", Martha sighed. "Sector Security is confiscating all our Decks and crimes are taking anything else even the little value. But people here have always looked up to you, Yusei. They thought you might get out of here starting a new life which is why it breaks my heart to know you're back with your Dueling." Martha walked over to a chest of drawers and peeled an apple. "I hope at least that you won your little game."

"It's not what you think!" Yusei retorted. "There's people out there that wants to destroy our home. All of us here are in great danger! It's complicated, but there're these Dark Signers that-"

"You need to calm down, Yusei", Martha interrupted the young man as she cut the peeled apple into slices. "I believe you. But if we all are in great danger, why'd you try to save us on your own?"

"It's my job...", Yusei replied with a low voice.

"You just never change", Martha sighed. "Trying to do everything by yourself and then ending up in a hospital bed. You got friends out there that would follow you anywhere. Look what they did just for your Duel Runner. And Estelle. She tried to leave during the night after Dr. Schmidt finished the surgery on you, but she almost fainted because she hasn't been sleeping properly since two nights ago. She didn't have to come and help you, but she ignored her own needs and came to the Satellite with her dragon just to protect you. And then there's Jack. You two were like brothers once. You need each other. Whatever happened, it's time that the two of you forgave and forgot. Life's hard enough, but it's even harder without a best friend. And if it's true... If these Dark Signers you're talking about want to turn our home into a parking lot..." She turned to Yusei with the plate of sliced apples. "...Then you're gonna need all the friends you can get 'cause mark my word; I'm done bandaging your black and blues. Your life is just too important to ride solo. Now, eat this." She walked back to the bed and gave Yusei the plate.

"Thank you...for all your help...", Yusei said, taking the plate.

"There's just one more thing. If you run out there before I say you're ready to go, then know these scars are just the beginning", Martha said. "Good luck, Yusei. You'll need it." The maroon-clad woman left the infirmary to leave Yusei alone with his thoughts.

Yusei glanced at the slices of apples on the plate before he looked around for his jacket. He found it and his sleeveless top on a chair just next to the bed. He reached out for the jacket, grunting in pain by the wound he had, and picked it up. He reached for the pocket inside the jacket and pulled out the card Estelle had given to him. A Feather of the Phoenix.

*_She knew..._*, Yusei thought. *_She knew I was going to Duel Kalin because she wouldn't give this card to me if I was going to Duel another Dark Signer... Estelle... She knows things we don't know. It's like she can see the future or something... Who _is_ she?_*

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

In the early evening, my group went to the Arcadia Movement, all dressed up fancy for the dinner. Leo and Luna had bought a pair of suits for Tanner and Yanagi while Leo was dressed in his own suit and Luna in a dress.

I was dressed in a red tunic which looked like a dress that ended in the middle of my thighs, black stretch tights, the same black bolero I had been wearing when I looked for Jack and my black boots. I had tied my hair to a low side-ponytail to the left side of my head and carried a wine-red small bag. I even took the opportunity to add some gentle pink lipstick.

We all sat around a table with Sayer to explain for him why we needed Akiza's help. While the others took their turns to explain things, I noticed Sayer often glanced at my direction with a sneaky gleam in his eyes.

*_Varför tittar han på mig sådär? __(Why is he looking at me like that?)_*

"...And now because Luna, me and Estelle are superheroes too, we're going to help our friend Yusei and fight the Dark Signers and save the whole city", Leo finished.

Sayer turned to Tanner with an amused expression. "Your young friend here certainly has an imagination."

"We know", Tanner sighed.

"But... It makes sense", Sayer said. "I've been monitoring some strange occurrences lately. We would love to help you."

"You would?" Leo said happily.

The rest of us were quite surprised by Sayer's offer, but I knew better.

"My Arcadia Movement is here for good. If any of my psychic Duelists, especially the lovely Akiza, could help, what sorts of person would I be if I turned my back on you?" Sayer said his "gentle" words. "I promise you all; I'll do everything to stop the threat."

Leo smiled at his sister. "Alright!"

"Thank you!" Luna smiled.

Sayer stood up from the table. "Now, if you would just excuse me, I'll go get Akiza." He walked out from the dinner room, closing the door.

"So, there!" Leo grinned. "You said he was so weird and scary, but that had to be wrong."

I arched an eyebrow. "This went _too_ easy if you ask me... I have a bad feeling about this."

"Why is it a bad feeling? I thought we were going to eat dinner. _That's_ a bad feeling for having an empty stomach", Yanagi said.

"Hold on!" Tanner said warningly. "You guys smell something funny?"

"Oops, it could be my age", Yanagi grinned. "Gastronomical problems..."

I smelled carefully before gasping. "Sleeping gas!" I quickly grabbed a serviette from the table and held it against my nose and mouth. "Don't breathe in the gas!"

The others were about to follow my example when the gas flowed in like a cloud, filling the whole room. The others fell asleep immediately as I tried to stand up and move to the door. But even if I was using a serviette as a mask, it didn't help. The gas still came through the thin paper.

I was slowly getting drowsy and losing my balance, but I tried to strain myself. I reached the door and was about to use my powers when it suddenly opened. I was about to look up who it was when that person hit me hard on my head with something heavy.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

My head was throbbing when I regained consciousness. I slowly opened my eyes to see things blurry for a second before the view became clear. I rubbed my sore head, feeling a small bump forming. I sat up and realized I was laying on a bed in a simple-looking room.

I turned to the right and spotted Akiza sitting on a chair a few meters from me. She had that distant look in her eyes. "Akiza?"

"I see you're awake now", Akiza said monotony.

I looked around to see if the twins or the two men were in here. "Where are the others?"

"The boy went through a test to see if he had any psychic powers", Akiza replied.

*_Jag missade den delen? (I missed that part?)_* I thought. "Is Leo okay? He's not hurt, is he? And Luna? Is she with him?"

"He's fine, and his sister is with him", Akiza replied.

"But... Why couldn't you stop the Duel?" I asked. "You know deep inside the way Sayer does his experiments is wrong."

Akiza shook her head. "You're wrong. He tests potential psychics to see if they hold such power that's similar to mine..." She held her right arm with the Mark. "But for now... You and Luna are going to stay here at the Arcadia Movement."

I widened my eyes in shock. "Why?"

"Because for your own safety", Akiza replied.

My patience was slowly running out. "You think I'd feel safe here with a man who's using technology to hurt innocent people?" I said a bit harshly.

"That's not true-"

"How many times have you been a witness to those experiments like the Duel just now with Leo and Sayer, seeing people getting hurt? I thought you _don't_ want to hurt people, but Sayer managed to convince you that violence is the only way to solve problems. But that's wrong!"

Akiza glared at me with hatred. "You think you know everything, don't you?!" I noticed some tears collecting in her eyes. "You don't know that I was abandoned by my own parents who neglected me after they sent me to the Duel Academy..." The tears were now running down her cheeks. "They didn't want to do anything with me... My father... My own father called me a monster when my powers were awakened when I was just a little girl..."

I stood up from the bed and walked over to Akiza and gave her a hug. Akiza gasped in surprise by my action, but she relaxed and cried onto my chest, gripping my clothes.

I rubbed her hair to comfort her. "I'm sorry to hear that, Akiza... But..." I grabbed her shoulders and made her look up at me. "Sayer cannot be trusted. He's a psychopath."

"He's not...", Akiza wiped away her tears which I helped her with. "He's like the father I never had, and I trust him."

"Well... Do you trust _me_?" I asked.

Akiza looked up at me with hesitantly eyes. "I... I don't know... You and Yusei affected me so much after the Fortune Cup that...I'm not even sure about myself..."

"I understand", I nodded. "But we're friends, right?"

"F-Friends...", Akiza said the word like it was a foreigner.

"True friends are there for each other", I smiled warmly. "I don't know if you were ordered to watch over me, but if you weren't... Then that means your true side cares about me because we share a bond that's even stronger than normal friendship."

Akiza blinked confusedly just when the door to the room opened. We turned to the doorway to see Sayer stand there. He eyed me with a... I had to be honest now... He looked like he wanted something more than my powers.

"Akiza... It's past bedtime. You should go and sleep", Sayer said.

I let go of Akiza as she walked out of the room like a puppet. Sayer eyed her with a smile before he turned to me. I held up my right arm to shield myself if he wanted to do something, but Sayer just smirked.

"I hope you can sleep tight in your new bed, Estelle. Good night." He walked out of the room and closed the door, locking it to add.

I let out a sigh of relief when I walked up to the door to listen through it, hearing Sayer talking to Akiza.

"Stay away from her, Akiza. I'm afraid she's trying to manipulate you."

"But, Sayer..."

"No more argument. You're too tired for that. Now, go to your room and rest."

"Okay..."

I arched an eyebrow by Akiza trying to go against Sayer. I couldn't remember from the anime if she was trying that once. Just then, I gasped when I remembered something really important. My bag!

I looked around the bed to see if I still had my bag with my Deck, but alas.

*_Tog Sayer den medan jag var medvetslös? Inte bra... Utan mina Duel Monsters kan jag inte göra nånting för att rädda mig själv och de andra. __(Did Sayer take it while I was unconscious? Not good... Without my Duel Monsters, I can't do anything to save myself and the others…)_*

I tried to calm down which kind of helped. But I was worried about my Deck and the Duel Monsters... If Sayer had burned my cards... He would pay for it and also if he had hurt my friends.


	18. The Arcadia Movement – Part 2

**WARNING! Some lime at the beginning!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 18: The Arcadia Movement – Part 2**

I was trying to sleep in the bed, but I had a hard time falling asleep. My brain was overworking with all my worried questions. Were the twins alright? What happened to Tanner and Yanagi? Why was Akiza showing signs that she was a bit against Sayer? Where was my Deck?

I didn't know what time it was because there was no clock in the room, but I knew Carly was soon going to find Sayer's secret office and Duel against him and...become a Dark Signer.

I lifted up my head from the pillow when I heard the door open very slowly. I turned around to the door, seeing a figure in the shadows stand there. "Who is it? Akiza?"

The dark figure closed the door and locked it before it stepped into the moonlight that was shining through the only window of the room.

"Sayer?!" I sat up fast in the bed. "What do you want?" *_Ska han inte Duellera Carly? (Isn't he supposed to Duel Carly?)_*

Sayer suddenly got a dark look in his eyes which made me shake in fear. "I am here to crush your mind... Just what I did with Akiza..."

"Crush my mind...?" I mumbled.

Sayer walked up to the bed and was fast enough to grab my arms when I tried to jump off it. He pushed me back into the mattress as he crawled onto me, holding both my wrists above my head with one hand. Now I realized what he was going to do!

"Let me go!" I struggled against his grip.

"You may not look like it, but I can sense a fighting spirit within you", Sayer whispered as he caressed my cheek with his free hand. "So I'm going to use the hard way to crush you. It's such a shame, even though you look so innocent."

"Get off me!"

"So you've never had an intimate moment with a man before? This should be interesting..."

Sayer lowered his face to my neck and started butterfly-kissing it. I grunted through my teeth, trying to fight against the feeling. "Stop..."

"No, my dear... We are just getting started..."

I was trying to come up with a plan to resist Sayer or catch him off guard with a comment, but it was hard to focus due to the touches. "W-What will A-Akiza think w-when she h-hears wh-what you d-did to me...?"

"She won't listen to you. Her mind is mine. Now, stop resisting and enjoy..."

His hand went down to my collarbone before lowering to my chest. I didn't want him to touch me. I wanted to save my whole body for the man I would fall in love with one day. But my moans only gave encouragement to Sayer to continue molesting me.

I felt his free hand caress down my side. Sayer was about to touch the hem of my stretch tights when he suddenly looked up as if he had sensed something. I felt him release the grip of my wrists and stood up from the bed, making me sigh in relief that the torture was over.

Sayer didn't say a word as he walked out from the room and locked the door. I sat up and tried to calm down my rapid-beating heart from the seduction. Thankfully, my Mark suddenly glowed warmly, calming me down instantly.

As soon as I comprehended myself mentally, I stood up from the bed and walked over to the door. *_Jag måste komma på ett sätt att ta mig ut och rädda alla andra innan det är försent. __(I must figure out a way to get out and save the others before it's too late.)_*

I thought for a moment to try summoning some kind of weapon with my Mark, but then I realized it would be too cliché. So the only thing I could do for the moment was sit on the chair close to the door and wait.

Just when I sat down on the chair, there was a sound coming from the door. The lock shifted, signaling it was unlocked. I stood up quickly, waiting for the person to open the door. My Mark throbbed, telling me it was Akiza standing outside.

Said girl opened the door and peeked in. "Estelle?"

I walked up to her, seeing she had a worried expression. "Akiza? What's wrong?"

"I...", Akiza hesitated. "I wanted to come back...to be with you..."

I must have heard wrong, but the tone she used reminded me of a scared child who searched for comfort.

"But... Didn't Sayer tell you to stay away from me?" I asked.

Akiza nodded as she closed the door behind her after she entered the room. "Yes, but for some reason... I feel more comfortable being with you."

I smiled gently at the girl. Her speech made me remember those few friends I had during my childhood. They all mentioned they felt comfortable being close to me because I ejected some kind of calm aura. Even at the few part-time works I had back in my dimension, the other employees commented the same thing when we were working in a rush.

Akiza held a familiar bag which I realized it was mine. "My bag!" I exclaimed happily before taking it. "You kept it for me?"

"Sayer went through your bag and found your Deck", Akiza explained. "He wanted to take them to the storage we have for spare Decks, but I convinced him that I should do it. So he gave me your bag and I kept it safe in my room until I came back here."

I checked if I had everything in my bag; card keys to the Tops, wallet, my Deck and other small necessary things such as tissues and Band-Aids. "Thank you, Akiza. I was worried I lost my Deck forever."

Akiza actually put on a small smile. "You're welcome... It kind of reminded me...when I was about to throw my Deck into a bonfire years ago, but Sayer stopped me from doing that..."

We sat down on the edge of the bed and just stayed there beside each other in a comfortable silence. Akiza looked more relaxed than I've ever seen before because she suddenly leant her head against my shoulder. I smiled at her and wrapped my arm around her waist, bringing her closer to me. I suddenly felt like a big sister, watching over a little sister.

We sat there around five minutes when there was the first earthquake. Akiza snapped her eyes open and looked around to see the room shake. "An earthquake?"

I suddenly felt my Mark throb in pain, making me look at it to see it was glowing. "A Dark Signer is here..."

"Dark Signer?" Akiza questioned.

I stood up from the bed. "The evil we Signers must face to stop the war with the shadows. We have to get out of here!"

"Wait!" Akiza said. "We have to find Sayer to see if he knows something about this."

"No, we must find the others and get out of here fast!" I argued. "In the meanwhile, we can look for Sayer as well."

"Okay", Akiza nodded.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Akiza and I walked together through the silent corridors. Akiza had even knocked on a couple of doors to see if the few "friends" she had were in their rooms.

We reached the main hallway with the balconies, but there was no one there either.

"Sayer? Anyone?" Akiza called. "Hello? Come on, stop kidding around!"

"Looking for someone?" a woman's voice spoke up.

We turned to the left and saw this tall woman with long black hair stand several meters from us. Misty Tredwell the model.

"Sayer is... How should I say... …_occupied_", Misty said.

"Wait, I know you!" Akiza said. "You're that model."

"Misty Tredwell", I added.

"I see the Crimson Star Priestess has a better check with people's names", Misty said. "But I am not surprised about that since she knows about the upcoming events."

Akiza looked confusedly at me, but I ignored it because I was glaring at Misty. "Are you here because you still believe Akiza is the person who killed your brother?"

Akiza gasped, "What did you say?! I never killed someone!"

"I know that, Aki", I assured her. "But _she_..." I pointed at Misty. "...still believes in those rumors that say her younger brother was murdered by the Black Rose."

Misty snorted, "Enough talking! I've been waiting a long time for this. I want my brother back!"

"I don't know your brother!" Akiza retorted.

"Enough lies! I want answers and I want them now, Miss Akiza", Misty sneered. "Your group of psychics, the Arcadia Movement, stole him from me. So now... I'll give you one more chance to tell me the truth! Where is my brother Toby, Black Rose?!"

"I already told you that I don't know!" Akiza retorted.

"Then we Duel...", Misty suggested.

"Fine, let's go!" Akiza nodded as she opened a hidden slot in the wall and brought out her Duel Disk with her Deck.

"To tell you the truth, I had hoped I would come to this", Misty said. "A Duel should be the perfect chance to try out some of the new abilities that I've recently been offered. You see, you're not the only one here who's keeping a big secret. Do not let my perfect face fool you, for I am a Dark Signer who has come to send you to the Netherworld."

"You're a Dark Signer?" Akiza asked.

The Mark of the Lizard appeared on Misty's right arm, glowing purple. My and Akiza's Marks responded to the evil Mark, glowing in slight pain.

And right in front of us, Misty's body was enveloped in a purple light and changed her clothes into the Dark Signers outfit, and a marker on both her cheeks.

"What do you want?" Akiza asked as the building began shaking again.

"The truth!" Misty responded. "I'll get it even if I have to shake it out of you!"

Akiza turned to me with a worried expression. "Estelle..."

I put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be here by your side. You're not alone. Use the Duel to show Misty that you're not responsible for Misty's brother's death."

"R-Right!" Akiza nodded.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Misty taunted Akiza the whole time to make my friend tell her what happened to Toby. And then came the sore part when Misty told Akiza about her Signer power; that Akiza couldn't control her power and only hurt people, even the closest ones. That made me lose my calmness.

"Shut up, Misty!" I shouted, making both women look at me. "Akiza would _never_ hurt any of her closest friends! If she would, then how come I'm not covered in scratches and wounds right now? Because she cares about me!"

"I care about you...?" Akiza mumbled lowly in surprise.

"Then how come Akiza enjoys scaring all the people who mocks her because she's a witch?" Misty asked.

"Don't listen to Misty, Akiza!" I told her quickly. "You know yourself you hate scaring and hurting people, and you want help to control your power."

"And what if she _really_ enjoys it?" Misty taunted.

"Stop...", Akiza clutched her head as her body began shaking.

I could sense her emotions stir inside her heart like a typhoon. She was being uncertain on herself about what kind of person she truly was.

Misty smirked, "There, do you see, Crimson Star Priestess?" I arched an eyebrow at her as I held Akiza's shoulders. "She's so confused she can't even decide what's her true self. She will lose this Shadow Duel and rest in the Netherworld together with Sayer!"

"I know who I am!" Akiza shouted out suddenly, making me and Misty look at her.

Akiza removed her hands from her head as she turned to me. "I... I'm Estelle friend!"

Misty gaped when both she and I felt the compassion from Akiza. My Star Mark responded to Akiza's Mark, feeling the warmth of my friend.

"Estelle has showed me so much that I now know who I am", Akiza smiled at me before turning to Misty. "I am Akiza Izinski, not the Black Rose! And I _will_ make you open your eyes and see that I am not the one responsible for your brother's death!"

I was surprised to hear Akiza almost say the very same words that I had told Jack during the final Duel at the Fortune Cup.

Misty wasn't looking so happy about the development, but she refused to give up torturing Akiza about her brother who had wanted to meet her.

Just then I saw Luna at the other side of the hallway along with Leo, Yanagi and Tanner.

"Estelle!" the twins called.

I waved to them. "Stay right there! A Shadow Duel is going on here!"

"Okay! Be careful!" Tanner shouted.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Misty was summoning her own Earthbound Immortal Ccarayhua. Her two Reptile Tokens flew outside and the whole building was shaking violently.

Akiza and my Marks started hurting just as Luna's Mark when I turned to look at the others. But then, a crimson energy shield ejected from Luna's Mark, surrounding her group. I quickly pulled out my Deck from my bag and looked through it to find two of my Duel Monsters.

"Bright Star Dragon! Chaos-End Master!" I shouted.

Two lights, one white and one yellow, shot out from the cards and formed the two Duel Monsters. Both of them were two meters tall and flew in the air.

"_**Mistress!**_" Bright Star Dragon said.

"_**What is your command?**_" Chaos-End Master asked.

"Go to Luna's group and protect them if things get worse!" I told them.

"_**Roger!**_"

Both my Duel Monsters flew over to Luna's group as purple flashlights flew around us, heading outside to feed Earthbound Immortal Ccarayhua's "seed".

"What is this?" Akiza asked, looking at the purple spirits.

"My Earthbound Immortal is absorbing the spirits of New Domino City citizens. But don't worry, it won't absorb you because I'm saving you for the last", Misty explained.

Just then I felt a headache and my energy being drained. I felt my legs give in and I fell down on the floor, panting deeply.

"Estelle!" Akiza knelt down next to me. "What's wrong?"

I panted harshly. "T-This is...ju-just l-like before..."

"Before?" Akiza blinked confusedly.

"Ah, I seem to have forgotten one thing", Misty said out loud. "According to the legend, the Crimson Star Priestess is not immune against the darkness of the Earthbound Immortals until all the five Signers are gathered, and there are only two of them here."

"T-That ex-explain th-things...", I panted as I slowly got up again with Akiza's help.

Akiza glared at Misty. "Where is that Monster?! You did just summon it, didn't you?"

"Oh, I summoned one, alright", Misty confessed. "Turn around, Akiza!"

Akiza and I turned around and we were both close to scream with our pitch-high voices when we saw a giant reptile's eye peek in through the window.

"W-What _is_ that?!" Akiza gasped.

I didn't know if it was the building or it was me who was shaking. But I could sense Ccarayhua's darkness from outside as it roared loudly. At the same time, Akiza and I heard a man's scream echo in the building.

"You hear that?" Misty asked us. "Your leader Sayer is having a difficult time."

Akiza looked up at the ceiling that was also being affected by Misty's Savage Colosseum Field Spell card. "Sayer!"

I held Akiza's shoulder, trying to calm her down. But then the whole building began trembling violently as I heard a loud bird's cry from outside.

"Another earthquake?!" Akiza asked.

"No...", I shook my head. "Another Earthbound Immortal is about to be summoned..."

"And that means you'll get twice as weak, Priestess", Misty said. "I'm surprised you managed to keep yourself awake with my Earthbound Immortal Ccarayhua summoned."

I arched an eyebrow when I felt my body lose strength to stand, making me fall down on my knees again and started cold sweating. Akiza knelt down next to me and tried to help me, but her main attention was on the ceiling looking for Sayer.

I gasped hardly as I felt my Mark glow stronger, both in pain and in comfort at the same time. It was like the darkness was trying to corrupt my body, but the power of the Crimson Dragon protected me.

I saw how two new lights flew out from my bag, one blue and one green, and headed outside. Their power made me realize which two Duel Monsters they were that just came out without me commanding them.

"Moon Dragon Quilla! Orient Dragon!" I called. "Come back!"

There were two dragon roars coming from outside. I realized that just like when Sun Dragon Inti appeared last night, my two other dragons probably were trying to hold back the two Earthbound Immortal since Kalin's Ccapac Apu seemed to be afraid of Sun Dragon Inti.

Just then there was a large explosion from above, the ceiling destroyed with debris falling down in the middle of the hallway. A body was flying down among the debris which Akiza recognized immediately.

"Sayer!" she stood up and looked down at the balcony.

I didn't have enough strength to get up on my feet, but I knew Sayer was being absorbed by a purple mist at the ground floor.

I suddenly heard cracks around me and looked up to see the walls were starting to crack. I slowly got up on my feet and turned to Luna's group. "Chaos-End Master! Bright Star Dragon! Get the others out of here!"

"_**Right!**_" Chaos-End Master nodded.

"_**But what about you, Mistress?**_" Bright Star Dragon asked.

"I'll be fine! Hurry and go!" I retorted.

Chaos-End Master picked up the twins, each in his arms, while Bright Star Dragon picked up Yanagi bridal style and Tanner climbed onto the dragon's back before the two Duel Monsters flew away from the danger zone.

"Looks like we gonna have to finish this another time, Akiza", Misty told Akiza who was paralyzed by shock.

I grabbed Akiza's shoulder. "Aki, let's get out of here!"

"No!" Akiza shook her head violently. "Sayer's gone... I can't go without him!"

"You have to!" I retorted.

"Go, and leave me!"

"I'm not going anywhere without you, Akiza! I'm not abandoning my friend!"

Misty chuckled before she started laughing loudly as she slowly disappeared into a purple mist. I could sense how the two Earthbound Immortals were returning to their cards, but my two dragons were still outside.

Akiza was grabbing the railing so hard that I couldn't pull her away from it. I was about to call her name when the lights turned off and debris was falling down towards us. I quickly grabbed Akiza close to me to protect her, waiting for our doom.

But it never came. Instead I heard two familiar roars echo around us. I opened my eyes and saw Moon Dragon Quilla was using her four necks to build a shelter above us.

"Quilla!" I called.

"_**H-Hurry and get out of here, Mistress!**_" Quilla groaned as she struggled against the debris.

Orient Dragon was about to pick us up when we heard a Duel Runner engine approach us. Out from a corridor came Jack Atlas, driving his improved Duel Runner.

"Jack?!" I called in shock.

"Estelle? Are you and Akiza okay?!" Jack asked.

"We were just about to leave, so hurry and get out here!" I retorted just as Orient Dragon grabbed me and Akiza, lifting us up until my Asian dragon cupped us with his long-clawed paws.

Just then I noticed Akiza had lost consciousness and tears were running down her cheeks. I wiped them away as Orient Dragon flew outdoors with Moon Dragon Quilla.

Once I looked up, I saw the flames of the two Nazca Lines had left scars in a big area of New Domino City. Orient Dragon lowered himself to the ground where several vehicles of Sector Security and ambulances had gathered. Among the people were Tanner and his group with my two Duel Monsters waiting worriedly for us.

Orient Dragon put me and Akiza down before he and Moon Dragon Quilla returned to my Deck with Chaos-End Master and Bright Star Dragon.

I was still holding Akiza, her arm around my shoulders, when Luna and the others rushed over to us.

"Estelle, are you okay?!" Luna asked.

"How is Akiza?" Tanner asked.

"Did you get hurt?" Leo asked.

"What happened in there?" Yanagi asked.

I was getting a headache by all the questions. "Calm down! I'm fine, but Akiza's not in her best condition."

Jack drove out from the Arcadia Movement building and braked next to us. He removed his helmet and I noticed in his eyes he was worried for once. "Are the two of you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine, but Akiza needs medical attention", I said, holding Akiza around her waist.

A couple of paramedics rushed over to us with a hospital trolley and helped me place Akiza on it. I followed them to the ambulance to follow them to the hospital. I was not going to abandon Akiza. She needed me and the other Signers right now.

Just before the paramedics were going to shut the doors, Luna's group rushed to me.

"We're coming with you!" Luna said.

"No", I shook my head. "Go home and rest for tonight. Come to the hospital tomorrow. And Luna..." The little girl blinked. "Could you be kind and fetch my casual outfit, my bag and my Duel Disk tomorrow?"

"Of course", Luna nodded.

"Excuse me, but we must leave", one of the paramedics told us.

I nodded, "Okay." I turned back to Tanner and Yanagi. "Look after the twins, okay?"

"You got it!" Tanner nodded.

"I hope Akiza will be fine", Yanagi said a bit worriedly.

I nodded when the paramedics shut close the doors and the vehicle drove off. I glanced at Akiza who was still sleeping. A paramedic was sitting at the other side of the trolley and hooked up Akiza with medical instruments.

I reached out for Akiza's hand and squeezed it gently. Her hand was so cold... No, _freezing_. Like the warmth of her Mark had been sapped by the Earthbound Immortal.

I prayed that either I or Yusei could wake her up later from her emotional trauma.


	19. Confronting Akiza

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 19: Confronting Akiza**

I had been sleeping on a couch outside of the room where Akiza was being held in the hospital for the rest of the night. When I woke up in the morning, a nurse had fetched a cup of hot tea and a sandwich for me. I wanted to give her money for the food, but she refused to take it since I was the Queen of Games.

To be honest, I thought I was going to like to be treated like a "queen" for a moment, we all are a bit egoistic, but I already hated it. I was a human being just like anyone else. Plus I wasn't raised to become spoiled.

After my small breakfast, I sat there watching a doctor and a nurse examining Akiza through the glass walls when I heard footsteps approach me. I looked to the right and saw Luna, Leo and Jack walk over to me.

"Estelle!" Leo rushed over to me to give me a hug.

I hugged the boy and rubbed his head. "Good morning, Leo." I looked up at the other two. "Good morning, Luna, Jack."

"Good morning, Estelle...", Luna walked over to me with my bag that I had when I came to this dimension and a larger bag. "I got your clothes, Duel Disk and your bag as you asked for."

I nodded as I accepted the bags. "Thank you, Luna."

"Any news?" Jack turned to the glass walls.

"Nothing yet", I shook my head as I stood up from the couch. "I'll be right back."

I went to a bathroom and changed my clothes inside a stall. When I was done, I washed my tired face and dried it before polishing my glasses. Once I was finished, I walked outside with the bags and my Duel Disk on my left arm.

Jack, Leo and Luna were standing together, watching the doctor and nurse work on several computers monitoring Akiza.

"Poor Akiza...", Luna mumbled worriedly.

"Hey, I just realized something", Leo spoke up. "We've got three Signers right here. Four if you count me. That's good, right, Jack?"

"Leo, for the umpteenth time, you're _not_ a Signer", Luna sighed. "But you may be right on something. Jack, Estelle, do you think we were brought together for a reason?"

"Perhaps, Luna", Jack replied. "But I think we'll need-"

Just then a couple in late thirties, early forties rushed over to the glass walls and spotted the doctor working on Akiza. I recognized the couple immediately and it made my blood boil in anger.

They were Akiza's biological parents.

"Akiza, my little girl...", the woman whimpered.

I couldn't help but glare at the father who was the main reason why Akiza was in the mental state she was currently in. The doctor and nurse left the room which made Akiza's parents rush to them with desperate expressions.

"Doctor!" Akiza's father called. "Will our daughter pull through?"

"Please, she's all we have", Akiza's mother begged.

"I...think it would be best if we talked inside", the doctor said, leading the couple in.

I watched how the parents rushed to the bed where Akiza laid, and the mother fell down on her knees crying.

"We got to help", Luna said. "If there's something wrong that the doctor can't fix, maybe we can use our Signer powers, like with telepathy or something. Would that work, Estelle?"

I exhaled harshly through my nose, still furious at Akiza's parents. "No. She needs someone who truly knows what her heart has been through, and her true self."

"Someone like _you_...", Jack glanced at me. "...Or Yusei." He stepped into the room to talk to Akiza's parents.

The twins glanced at me as I tried to cross my arms, even with my Duel Disk strapped on. I refused to speak a word until Akiza's parents would come out.

As soon as they stepped outside with Jack and the doctor, Akiza's father stepped over to me. "You're Estelle, right? The same one who Jack just mentioned?"

"Yes", I nodded.

"Please, help us wake up our daughter", Mr. Izinski begged. "It's all my fault she's in this condition-"

I didn't let him finish because I slapped him so hard on his cheek it left a big red hand mark behind.

Everyone in the hallway gasped at my action, but I wasn't going to let them argue against me because I was really, _really_ pissed off!

"You call yourself a father, Senator?" I hissed with a furious voice. "You treated your little girl like she was a monster! You called her names and neglected her for so many years and now you've got the nerve to appear out of nowhere to win back Akiza's heart?! What kind of parent leaves their child behind when she needed help and comfort when she was scared herself when her powers first activated?!"

"But-", Mrs. Izinski tried to interrupt me.

"You shut up and listen, both of you!" I pointed harshly at the parents, making them flinch. "I've got my own disorder, but my parents never pushed me away! They tried to help me as much as they could by reading about my autistic behaviors." The twins and Jack arched an eyebrow at my confession. "Did you ever try to help Akiza by reading fantasy books that were about magic to help Akiza learn to how to control her powers? Did you ever try to figure out your own ways to help her? No. You thought it would be best if you sent her to the Duel Academy and _forget_ about her, and what did it lead to the end? You hurt Akiza more than ever by _abandoning_ her, and she found her new home at the Arcadia Movement, even if that business is dangerous, and you knew about that the whole time without doing something!"

Mr. Izinski looked down in shame with tears in his eyes. His wife was at the same condition.

"That was too harsh, Estelle", Luna spoke up. "They just found out about Akiza's condition and-"

"And they needed to hear the truth", I interrupted her. "And they both _know_ I'm right, aren't I?"

Mrs. Izinski nodded, "You're right..." Her tears ran down her cheeks, making her wipe them away even if it always came new ones. "We didn't do anything to help her..."

Mr. Izinski placed a hand around his wife's waist trying to calm her down. "I know I've been a bad father and didn't get to spend enough time with her-"

"Yeah, but you never used that spare time to truly help Akiza!" I retorted angrily, but I felt myself slowly calm down from my inner anger. "I will try helping Akiza, but _only_ for her. Not for you. And it would be best if you get Yusei if I can't help her for some reason." I turned to look at the bed in the other room.

"I... I understand", Mr. Izinski nodded. "I'll go get Yusei Fudo right away!" He turned to his wife. "Dear, stay here with Akiza."

"Y-Yes...", Mrs. Izinski sniffled.

Mr. Izinski kissed her forehead before rushing away, leaving us standing in the hallway. Mrs. Izinski picked up a tissue from a pocket of her dress and wiped off her tears.

I relaxed my tense shoulders and walked over to Jack to whisper in his ear. "Could you...get Mrs. Izinski away from here? Just until Yusei comes back. If I can wake up Akiza, I don't want her to see her mother yet. She must face her father who's the main reason why she's in this condition."

"Got it", Jack nodded before turning to Akiza's mother. "Mrs. Izinski, I think it would be best if you stay away from Akiza for a while." The woman looked really shocked. "If Estelle can wake her up and she spots you... She might try to flee the hospital before your husband returns with Yusei."

"O-Okay...", Mrs. Izinski sniffled before turning to me. "Please, help my little rose..."

"I'll try", I nodded as I turned to the twins. "Leo, Luna, go with them as well."

"You sure?" Leo asked.

"Stop asking questions and come, Leo", Luna grabbed her brother's hand and pulled him away.

"Hey, Luna, what the heck are you doing?" Leo whined.

Jack led Mrs. Izinski away as I stepped inside the large empty room. I sat down at the edge of the bed where Akiza laid with a pair of sensors on her head. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently, feeling her body warmth had returned.

"Akiza... Can you hear me?" I spoke gently.

The girl didn't show any signs of movement.

"Akiza... Focus on my voice", I tried again. "Stop thinking about your past. It will only lead you to the wrong path again, and I don't want to see you ending up there again."

I felt Akiza's fingers twitch in a second, meaning I was on the right way.

"Akiza... You don't have to suffer. You're not alone. You haven't lost everything. You've got _me_ by your side."

I kept talking to Akiza like that for half an hour until some tears escaped her eyes, making me wipe them away gently with my right hand.

"Aki... It's time to wake up."

And as if on cue, my Mark started glowing. Akiza's Mark responded to the Star Mark as she slowly opened her eyes. She looked lost for a minute before she blinked and rubbed her eyes. "E-Estelle...?"

I smiled gently. "Welcome back, Aki."

Akiza sat up slowly on her knees at the mattress, looking around confusedly while I removed the sensors on her forehead. "Where...am I?"

"In the hospital", I replied. "The paramedics drove us here after we escaped the threat of the Arcadia Movement's collapsing."

"Drove _us_ here...?" Akiza trailed off before she looked suddenly worried. "You're not hurt, are you?!"

"No, I'm fine", I assured her. "But... How are _you_ feeling?"

Akiza looked down at the bed, gripping the covers. "I feel so...empty...and lost."

"That's the common feeling after an emotional trauma", I explained before sighing at my own sad memories. "I've been through too many of them..."

"You have?" Akiza asked.

I nodded, "Yes. And it's a long story so I want to only tell it once when all the Signers are gathered."

Akiza suddenly got new tears in her eyes. "So Sayer...is really gone..." She threw herself at me, holding onto me as she started crying onto my shoulder.

I hugged her and caressed her hair as I rubbed her back with my other hand. "Shh... Aki... You're not alone. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

I felt like a mother who was comforting her daughter. I just hoped Yusei would soon show up because I really needed to tell my friends who I was and where I came from. I couldn't hide the truth any longer.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Mr. Izinski had gone to the Satellite by helicopter to fetch Yusei, but before that the senator told Yusei, Martha and Blister the whole story how Akiza ended up in the way she was now, and also about the time when Akiza's powers and Mark woke up during a Duel and accidently hurt her father. It was then the Black Rose Witch was born and Mr. Izinski had accidently called her a monster.

The senator continued telling Akiza's life story; how he isolated her from other children because of her uncontrolled powers until he sent her to the Duel Academy when she was a teenager. And then how Akiza rushed back home one day to find her parents smiling and not even thinking about her. Akiza partly destroyed her old home and it was also the very same night when the girl met Sayer who accepted her for who she was and took her in to the Arcadia Movement.

When Yusei tried to deny that he couldn't help Akiza, the senator begged him by grabbing his hands. It was then Martha noticed the big red hand mark on the man's cheek.

"Sir, if I may ask, where did you get that mark on your cheek?" Martha asked.

Mr. Izinski let go of Yusei's hands to put a hand on his sore cheek. "I...got quite the lecture from the Queen of Games."

Yusei and Blister blinked confusedly. "You mean Estelle?" Blister asked.

"She's in the hospital with Akiza?" Yusei asked.

"It was Estelle who saved my daughter from the Arcadia Movement building when it looked like it was about to collapse", Mr. Izinski explained. "She's with Akiza for the moment. Jack Atlas said she might help, but we also needed to get you in case Estelle can't help Akiza to wake up. So, please, I'm beginning you! Help my daughter! I... I want to become the father she needed all the time... I want to make up for all the lost time..."

Yusei was silent when Blister spoke up.

"You know, Estelle is like a heroine, don't you think so?" the cowboy asked, making the raven-haired man look at him. "First, she protected and saved _you_ from the Duel with Kalin, and now she rescued Akiza. It shows very clearly she cares about her friends. And you need to be there for them now, Yusei."

"I don't know...", Yusei mumbled.

"For goodness's sake, Yusei!" Martha exclaimed irritated. "You can't turn your back on this poor girl or so help me! Unless... You're afraid to Duel again." Yusei didn't answer on that statement. He just looked away in shame. "Ah, so it's true! You're still thinking about that Duel with Kalin, right? Well, you can't stay here. Wound's healed. Bike's prepared. What are you waiting for?"

"Well... Um...", Yusei hesitated. "You see..."

Martha stepped over to her foster son and pinched his ear. "Shame on you, Yusei! If you're not gonna help that young girl, then why'd I patch you up? If I taught you one thing, Yusei, it's to help your friends! They are waiting for you, and if everything you said about these Dark Signers, purple lights and the end of the world is true, well, then you'll need their help. And you're sure not gonna get it by sitting here in my dining room. I can't imagine how scared you must be, but you have to face that fear."

Yusei quickly thought about what Martha had just told him and finally got a smile and nodded. He was going to do it. He was going to help wake up Akiza from her coma.

Mr. Izinski was so relieved to see Yusei's change of heart. "Then you'll help? Thank you!"

Martha patted Yusei's back with a smile when the young man stood up. "And once this is all over, maybe you'll take one of your girlfriends out on a date", she said.

"Huh?!" Yusei exclaimed in shock.

"I'm just saying that if you have a _special_ connection with one of them...", Martha teased happily.

"I'm trying to save the world! Not date!" Yusei retorted with red cheeks.

Blister couldn't hold himself back as he began laughing. "He's already got a girlfriend. His Runner!"

Yusei growled at the teasing with red cheeks as the three adults laughed hysterically at Blister's joke. He had never been dating or had a relationship with a girl before and didn't even want to at the moment when the end of the world was coming. So why was he feeling so embarrassed when he did think a slight more about Estelle?

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Mr. Izinski gave Yusei a ride back to New Domino City and the duo went straight to the hospital. When they entered the building, they spotted Jack, the twins and Mrs. Izinski sitting on a couch at the lobby.

Mrs. Izinski stood up when she saw her husband and rushed over to him. "Dear!" She hugged her husband as Yusei walked over to the twins who were happy to see him again.

"Yusei!" Leo and Luna rushed to hug him around his waist.

Yusei grunted slightly by the wound he had. "Easy, guys..."

Luna noticed Yusei's pain and quickly let go, dragging Leo off him. "Sorry..."

Jack walked up to the group, having a calm aura for once. "Yusei."

Yusei looked up at the blonde man. "How's Akiza?"

"We don't know", Jack shook his head. "Estelle told me to take Mrs. Izinski to the lobby in case she could wake up Akiza, and if she spotted her mother she could try escaping the hospital before you arrived."

"Good point", Yusei nodded.

"Let's hurry!" Mr. Izinski told the group.

The group walked fast to the glass walls where Akiza was being held, only to receive a big surprise.

On the bed sat Estelle with an awaken Akiza. The psychic girl was laughing and smiling at some joke the brown-haired woman just told her.

Mr. and Mrs. Izinski gaped at the sight. Shock, relief, shame and happiness were washing over them, seeing their daughter smile, _smile_ after all these years. They had never been able to make Akiza smile _once_ after the girl's powers had awakened, but here was a young woman who could easily bring out a smile from their daughter's lips.

"Akiza...", Leo spoke up. "She's awake!"

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I was cheering up Akiza by telling her some jokes. I looked over her shoulder to see Yusei and the others had come back with Akiza's parents.

The group walked inside the room with the Izinski couple behind Jack and Yusei who were acting like a barrier to hide the two adults.

Akiza turned around and got a slight surprised expression. "You guys... You came...?"

"Of course we did, Akiza", Luna smiled.

"We never leave behind a superhero!" Leo exclaimed happily which made me sweat drop.

Akiza eyed the two adults that were being shielded by Jack and Yusei, but they stepped aside when they saw me nod.

Akiza gasped as she suddenly got up into a defensive position. "What are _they_ doing here?!"

I stood up from the bed to put a hand on her shoulder. "Aki, he's here to help you."

Akiza smacked away my hand. "Help me?! This man. This _stranger_. He hurt me deeply! And he's come to hurt me even more!"

Yusei stepped up. "Akiza, he's here to make things right."

"Make things right?! There is nothing he came to make things right! He's here to harm me!"

"Akiza, please", Mr. Izinski pleaded. "I'm here to help you. To be a father to you."

"A father?! Sayer was more a father to me than you ever were!"

I could feel Akiza's anger and sadness increase as her powers were activated. Everyone, except me, was pushed back to the door by the strange wind that started blowing around us. Strangely, the bed hadn't been blown away.

"Akiza, calm down...", I clenched my jacket where my heart was, feeling it tighten up by the powerful emotions from the girl.

"No! I won't!" Akiza glared at me. "Not while this stranger is standing right here!"

Akiza picked up her Duel Disk from the bed and activated it, placing a card on it. Black Rose Dragon appeared behind her and grabbed me with her vines. I felt the thorns of the vines drill into my skin as I was lifted up, hearing the others cry my name.

I tried to resist the pain from the thorns and the vines that squeezed me tighter by each second, but I couldn't help but gasp in pain. I opened my eyes to look down at Akiza, seeing her hairpin had fallen down, her power being totally uncontrolled.

Now I could sense something else from Akiza. She was afraid of being rejected again. She had lost Sayer, the only one according to her who accepted her, and she pushed away people who wanted to accept her because she was scared to be alone again.

"Akiza, stop it!" Yusei shouted.

"No, I won't stop!" Akiza retorted.

"You're hurting Estelle! Please stop!" Luna shouted.

"Akiza, stop this!" Mrs. Izinski shouted with tears in her eyes. "You weren't meant to be a violent girl..."

"Well, that _stranger_...", Akiza pointed at her father. "...made me into this...this _monster_!"

I felt a nerve struck when I heard Akiza call herself a monster. "Akiza Izinski, you are _not_ a monster or a witch!"

Akiza looked up at me with the most furious expression I've ever seen. "Shut up!" Her dragon began squeezing me more, making me cry out in pain. "No one understands what I've been through my whole life! No one can ever understand me!"

"You're wrong!" I retorted, feeling my Mark start glowing.

In the next second, Moon Dragon Quilla had come out from my Deck and attacked Black Rose Dragon, her four heads biting onto the rose dragon making her cry out in pain. I felt the vines on me lighten up and suddenly dropped me, but luckily I fell onto the bed and not on the floor.

Everyone, including Akiza, was surprised to see Moon Dragon Quilla had come out just like that and attacked Black Rose Dragon. The air was suddenly filled with magenta rose petals and blue shiny powder, coming from the two dragons.

I quickly examined myself and was surprised to see I was unharmed, even though the thorns of Black Rose Dragon's vines had almost pierced me. I stood up from the bed and walked towards Akiza who glared at me. "Don't come any closer!" she threatened me.

I ignored the threat as the wind tried to slice me, but it didn't work because I was immune to Akiza's powers. As soon as I was close to her, I placed gently my hands on her cheeks, seeing she was crying.

Akiza gasped at my touch, surprised to see I was brave to stand up to her. "W-Why..."

I didn't let her finish her sentence and just hugged her close to me, holding her hard so she wouldn't try to pull out from my embrace.

The time seemed to stop. The wind suddenly died down along the dragons' roars. The rose petals and shiny powder floated down to the floor, making a magenta and blue sea around us. Everyone else was quiet, just staring at the scene.

"Akiza...", I spoke with a gentle voice. "I know what you've been through. I was bullied day in and day out in the elementary school, being called things I don't want to remember, because I was different from the other children. I was more vulnerable and not mature for my age because I have autistic behaviors which makes me mature a bit slower in many ways than a normal human being." Akiza looked at me with big eyes. "I had problems in the social way. I could only express myself with hysterical screams and aggressive actions, kinda like you, because I didn't know how to handle all the bullying, how to act properly. I often thought if the children could hurt me in the way they did, then violence is the only way for payback, but it was wrong. It only made the situation worse and I became a victim for younger children too. There were a few older students who tried to help me, but I pushed them away because I was actually afraid they would hurt me instead of helping me. I had only a few friends during my life, but they all came and went because as I grew up and learned more about my problem. I started maturing thanks to my mother who stood there by my side and helped me as much as she could, even if I was very stubborn at that time." I wiped off Akiza's tears. "What I'm trying to say is; don't push away people who want to help you. I know you're afraid of rejection, but you can't live with this fear forever. If your parents didn't care about you, then they shouldn't have come here in the first place. Your place... Your home is right here with your parents and friends."

Akiza started crying even harder as she hugged me. I could feel her legs were giving in so we sat down on the floor as we hugged each other. I caressed her hair as she sobbed onto my shoulder.

"Your Mark and powers are more than a curse... There're a gift, and a sign of a friendship that maybe only the four of you Signers were meant to have", I said. "And you all matter to me because you are my friends too. I'm not abandoning anyone of you. You're like a family to me."

"I-I r-really ma-matter t-to y-you...?" Akiza sobbed.

I nodded, "Yes, Akiza..."

Akiza sobbed even harder, but it wasn't of sadness. I could sense she was happy to finally being accepted. I could swear I heard someone in the background sniff happily which I assumed it was Akiza's mother.

"Akiza."

Both of us looked up to see Mr. Izinski stand next to us. "I know that you hate me right now, and probably won't ever forgive me for what I've done to you", he said. "But, if you're willing to, will you give me a second chance?"

Akiza looked up at me as I nodded to her. She let go of me as we both stood up, me grabbing Akiza's hairpin.

"I think so... Daddy", Akiza smiled.

Mr. Izinski smiled as his daughter embraced him. Mrs. Izinski quickly joined the hug.

I smiled at the scene and looked up at the two dragons that were still outside and watched us. I stepped up to them and let them nuzzle me. I giggled happily as I patted their jaws. At the same time, I could hear Yusei ask Akiza for help as the twins cheered for the success.

"_**Thank you, Priestess**_", Black Rose Dragon said happily. "_**Thank you for saving my mistress, and forgive me for hurting you.**_"

"It's alright, Black Rose Dragon", I told her. "I'm okay now. Make sure you'll be with Akiza whenever she needs you."

"_**Of course**_", Black Rose Dragon nodded before she and Moon Dragon Quilla dissipated.

I didn't realize that the others had walked up to us when Yusei placed a hand on my shoulder. I turned slightly around to see him smile slightly.

"You did it even better than I would have done", he said.

"Thank you...", I smiled warmly before walking over to the reunited family.

Akiza turned to me as I held up her hairpin. She accepted it with a smile and rolled up her long front bangs with the hair accessory. "Thank you."

"You're welcome", I smiled before becoming serious. "Now that we're all gathered, I believe it's time for me to tell you all who I really am."

"What do you mean?" Leo blinked. "Aren't you Estelle?"

"Yes, I am Estelle, but I have a secret that I want to tell you guys now when we're finally together", I said.


	20. The Truth

**What Estelle tells her friends about her past and her true self is 90% based on me and my time with my own suffering during my childhood.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 20: The Truth**

Akiza's parents were proud of her and they let her go with us when I promised them their daughter would come back once the war with the Dark Signers was over. Our group walked outside in the fresh air, close to a park where I could tell my friends the truth.

I was getting really nervous. Would they accept me after I told them the whole story? I was anxious since a small part of me was afraid of rejection, but if they could accept each other, then they should be able to accept me as well.

"So...", Leo broke the silence. "Who are you, Estelle?"

I gathered all my courage and turned around to face my friends. "I'm a human being coming from another dimension, or maybe even another planet."

"Another dimension?" Yusei questioned.

"That explains why there are no records of you", Jack chimed in.

I nodded, "Yeah, since I'm an _extraterrestrial_. The creator of the Duel Monsters in my world came up with ideas on drawing manga about his card game and adapted them into anime with characters. And... You guys and this dimension are also fictional in my world. Holograms haven't been invented yet and my home planet hasn't come so far to make their cities _this_ high-tech. But there're lot more things that are different in my world."

"Such as?" Luna asked.

"There are no psychics or Duel Spirits", I explained. "A Monster like Stardust Dragon would be nothing but a card. We don't have Duel Disks, and Duel Monsters is only being played by nerds who like playing strategy card games. But they do hold several competitions, but nothing extraordinary like the Fortune Cup."

"Okay...", Leo looked a bit confused. "But... What about you? You said back at the hospital something with au-au-artistic behaviors."

I chuckled, "You mean _autistic_. I have some autistic behaviors which is actually Asperger syndrome; a neurological disorder. It's not infectious before some of you get scared. It's something you're born with."

"But... How?" Akiza asked curiously.

"It's mostly genetically, or while the embryo is growing inside the womb, a different process might happen just like that", I explained. "During my first four years in elementary school, I was in a normal class, but after all the suffering and bullying, my parents transferred me to another school that had a special class for children with autism. And let's just say... I was the most _normal_ one among those children. All the children had their own problems or other diagnosis like ADHD which means a person is hyperactive, or even having DAMP, or another diagnosis. We were like a whole class with combined children with all kinds of problems."

"Wait, you mean your classes weren't divided in grades like 4th grade or 6th grade?" Jack asked.

"Well, kinda", I made a so-so gesture with my hand. "We were like ten to twelve children who were divided into three classrooms with children in all grades. I was in the fifth grade with another boy in my grade and two boys in the sixth grade. We shared one classroom with two teachers. Another classroom had five children with the grades from 1 to 4 with three teachers. Not a good structure, I know, but that's how the Swedish Asperger classes work."

"Swedish? You're from Sweden?" Yusei asked.

I nodded, "Yeah, but my parents are originally from Austria. They both moved to Sweden where I was born."

"I thought you had an accent, but you sound more like British", Yusei pointed out.

I chuckled, "Because I practiced on my English almost all the time that my accent changed from the combination of Swedish and Austria into British. You aren't the first one who pointed it out."

"How did the education work?" Luna asked.

I sighed, "Very, _very_ bad structure. It was okay at the fifth grade, but it got worse once I got into the sixth grade. I had to be in a larger classroom with seven children, and they were the ones who had bigger problems than me. The four teachers couldn't give me the education I needed for my grade and could only focus on the other students every day. I was getting tired of being treated like an outsider because I was calmer and acted normal, and I literally waited excitedly to transfer to the junior high school Asperger class that was just 100 meters from my home. But..." I took a quick break. "It was even worse. The teachers literally ignored the students and let them work on their own inside the cold classrooms. We had only a few times _real_ classes together, but it was always a disaster. I didn't get to learn what I needed for the seventh grade, so I retook a year. But... It didn't even go three months when I had enough of enduring all the, pardon my cursing, _shit_ every single day, so one day I walked home, told my parents how things were going at school and since then I stayed at home, not going to school."

"Was it...that hard to be in that special class?" Leo asked.

"Even harder compared to the elementary class", I replied. "When I retook the seventh grade, the problem kids transferred to the same junior high school and I was stuck with them and their...childishness and ridiculous actions. And things were often so unfair. During one collective class with the seventh grades, those two boys started to make a scene and I started crying because I _begged_ them to stop their doing. And listen to this! The teacher had the nerves to order _me_ to get out of the class!"

"What?!" Jack gasped.

"That's so unfair!" Luna commented.

"But I braced myself and hit the table, telling the teacher why did the innocent have to leave the classroom, why not the disturbing ones", I said, getting angry at the memory. "Anyway, my parents contacted my doctor and he wrote me out on a break so I didn't have to go to school while my mother searched for schools all over the country to find a solution."

"Didn't you...miss any friends?" Akiza asked.

"I didn't have any friends at school, only acquaintances since we had a common interest; video games and Pokémon. Pokémon is similar to Duel Monsters, but not the same", I answered. "One day, one of the teachers called my parents and threatened to sue them if I didn't start going back to school, but he knew I was on a break." I made a harsh wave gesture with my hands. "If I compare the teachers from the junior high class with the ones from the elementary class, the junior high teachers were even worse because they had their own problems, even though they never admitted it."

"And did you find a solution with the education?" Yusei asked.

I nodded, "Yes. My mother found a distance school at the capital. I didn't have to go to school. I could follow a normal structure and educate myself at home with books I received from the school and my parents helped me with some questions or a topic I didn't understand. After I finished junior high, I took one year break to recover myself before I continued high school via distance and finished it when I was 19."

"Whoa... Quite a story", Leo commented.

"While I was at home and studied, I slowly lost the friends I had since they went on their separate ways, so I started going to a game center at the capital where I played Pokémon as a Trading Card Game. I've got new friends and opened up, and learned how to be social. I was also a very shy girl when I was young. But since I still had my own problems, my mother and started having our own talk therapy which helped me a lot."

Akiza held up a hand. "One question." We all turned to her. "About your autistic behaviors and the whole neurological thing... Did you do a test or something to find out about your problem?"

I nodded, "Yes. My mother took me to a psychologist when I was five years old and I had to make a test with pictures and other things I forgot. But we had to wait two years for the result, and when we got it, it turned out my IQ is higher than a normal human being and I answer great with pictures, but my social side was below the normal."

"Great, we've got another Yusei Fudo here...", Jack mumbled, making all of us laugh at his comment.

"I'm not a big genius as Yusei, Jack, but my ability to learn things fast and memorize things for so long are quite unique", I replied. "I remember things from when I was four, five years old."

"Now that's one heck of ability for sure!" Leo grinned.

I smiled lightly. "But... Even if you look for a second at my past, it might look negatively, but now I see it positively." The others blinked confusedly. "I received experience from my past that I can carry on to the future. I've become a stronger person which I wasn't in the past. And thanks to being in those special classes, I learned how to analyze people and view them from different perspective and try to help them, especially emotionally."

"Like the time when you made me open my eyes back at the tower...", Jack pointed out.

"And how you never left me behind and made me realize where I truly belong...", Akiza added.

Before we could continue speaking, Mina rushed over to us. "Everyone!" she called.

"Mina? What's wrong?" Jack asked.

Mina caught her breath when she reached us. "We've got something important to show you all at the Sector Security HQ."

I suspected what it could be; the proof and truth about the Arcadia Movement's real purpose. I cast a side glance at Akiza, seeing how she suddenly looked so nervous. It was like she knew it could be about her old home.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yusei, Akiza and I stood in a dark room with Mina as a screen showed us videos of innocent children and victims who went through Sayer's experiments, killing them because they were weak and useless or they couldn't control their powers.

Akiza grimaced at the scene which made me hold her hand since I stood next to her.

"We found these files in the Arcadia building", Mina explained. "Apparently, Sayer was a master-manipulator who was taking Duelists with powers like yours, Akiza, and depending on their strength, they would either stay or disappear."

I felt Akiza's doubt as she looked away from the screen.

"I'm sorry, Akiza", Mina apologized. "I know this has come as a shock after everything you've been through, but it looks like Sayer was one of the bad guys. The true purpose of his Arcadia Movement was to create an army of psychic Duelists he could use to try and take over the world. You were just another solider that he was training for the battlefield to fight." She pushed something on a holographic screen and the screen in front of us showed us a list of people that was among the army Sayer was creating, and Akiza's name and picture were among the list. "It's all here. He was using you."

Akiza gasped at the discovery and ran out of the room. I could feel her pain once again and a slight betrayal that Sayer wasn't the father-figure she first thought.

"You can't run away from the truth, Akiza!" Mina shouted. "We need your help! You have the Mark of the Dragon and we need you to beat the Dark Signers! Please come back!"

I put a hand on Mina's shoulder, turning her around. "Don't rub more salt on Akiza's fresh wounds."

I released Mina as I rushed after Akiza, knowing she needed comfort after this discovery. I found her sitting close to the windows in a cafeteria, holding her hands in a prayer on the table. I walked over to her and pulled a chair to sit next to her. I sat down and placed a hand on her intertwined hands. Akiza looked up with a sad expression.

We didn't need to use words. Akiza leant her head onto my collarbone as I gave her a side hug and comforted her again. She was usually a strong girl, but even the strongest people needed comfort and help when they went through radical discoveries and changes.

"I can't be mad at Sayer, Estelle...", Akiza spoke up. "He...offered me a home when no one else would take me in. So he used me. I guess I used him so I could feel safe. Now he's vanished, and despite what he's done I'm sad."

"Because he was an important person in your life when you needed someone to hold and comfort you", I said. "I know that feeling. I had people I met and they meant so much to me, children and even a couple of teachers who really wanted to help me."

I could sense the others were hiding behind a wall, listening on our conversation.

"I'm really grateful that I met them, but life goes on", I added. "And thanks to those people, I got stronger so I could face the world on my own. That's how you should see things as well. And remember you're never alone. You've got us; your new friends and your parents."

Akiza nodded as she lifted up her head. "Friends..."

I smiled as I stood up from the chair and held out a hand to Akiza. "Let's go and fight the Dark Signers together."

"Yes...", Akiza nodded as she grabbed my hand and stood up.

We walked to the corridor where the others were hiding. I gave them a small smile as Akiza squeezed my hand.

"You two ready?" Yusei asked.

"I think so...", Akiza replied.

"Let's go and meet Goodwin", I told them all.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

We were sitting in a limousine that headed to a big island in the middle of New Domino City where Goodwin had his mansion. I was getting a bit nervous. How was Goodwin going to explain the history of the Signers since the original anime didn't have a Crimson Star Priestess?

We stepped out from the limousine outside of the mansion with Mina and looked around. Leo was the first one to comment.

"Wow! Goodwin's mansion is huge!" he exclaimed. "It probably got its own zip-code!"

The two doors opened as Goodwin stepped outside, hands behind his back. "Thank you all for coming. I've waited a long time for this moment. The four Signers and the Crimson Star Priestess standing here all together. It is with great honor that I welcome you all to my home." He bowed lightly. "I'm here to serve you."

"Right", Jack snorted. "The only thing you've ever served is a tennis ball."

"Jack is right", Akiza whispered to me and Yusei. "Goodwin has played with us since the beginning. I mean, he's the one who threatened your friends in the Satellite just to make you Duel in that tournament to see if you were actually a Signer. How could you ever trust a guy like that?"

"You're right. I can't, but he seems to be the only one who knows what's happening", Yusei replied. "And with everything that is at stake, I can't risk not giving him a second chance. If Goodwin is the only one who has a plan, I have to trust him."

"Well, when you put it like that... You can count me in, okay?" Akiza said.

"Of course. We're all in this together", I nodded with a smile.

"So, why did you invite us here?" Leo asked. "You're giving us super-Dueling Decks or what?"

"I don't recall anyone inviting _you_", Goodwin glanced down at the boy.

"I'll take a rain check on those Dueling Decks", Leo retorted.

"There are no super-Dueling Decks", Goodwin was slowly losing his patience. "You should probably go home now."

"Listen up, Goodwin", I said with a serious voice. "Either you let Leo in or none of us will enter your mansion. Your choice."

Goodwin was silent for a second before he nodded. "Just no pets, okay?"

"We'll both save the world", Luna said happily.

"Mm... Alright", Leo replied a bit hesitantly.

"Now that the daycare arrangements have finalized Leo... Shall we go inside?" Goodwin said.

We walked inside the mansion and headed to an elevator, heading downwards. As we were slowly going down, I started feeling somehow stronger and my arm with the Star Mark started itching. Once we got to the end, the stone doors opened and we walked through an ancient corridor. When we entered a new room, the doors closed behind us and a red glow appeared from the floor.

"Look!" Akiza exclaimed.

On the floors was the Mark of the Crimson Dragon circling around a large temple which I quickly recognized from the vision we all saw before during the Fortune Cup finale.

"What... What is this?" Yusei asked.

"This, my friends, is the Stairway of the Crimson Dragon", Goodwin answered.

"What's that shape?" Yusei asked once again, noticing the full Mark of the Dragon on a stone tablet.

"It looks like all of our signs!" Luna exclaimed.

"The Crimson Dragon", Akiza concluded.

"Correct", Goodwin nodded. "It is the symbol that bonds you all, and find you as Signers; protectors of the world."

The four Marks on my friends' arms started glowing with my Star Mark.

"And finally, the Crimson Star Priestess; the guardian of the Signers and the light."

My Star Mark glowed stronger as the symbol on the ground glowed as well before revealing the Crimson Dragon itself.

"The Crimson Dragon sensed the strength of your hearts and has chosen the four of you to take on the Army of Shadows. This has always been your destiny!" Goodwin said seriously.

"What about me? The Crimson Star Priestess?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, the only few records about the Crimson Star Priestess has been destroyed centuries ago, so no one truly knows everything about her", Goodwin explained. "But the only few things I know is the Crimson Star Priestess has the power to see and communicate with the Crimson Dragon and can summon the mighty dragon once the five Signers has been gathered. But only alone, she has almost the equal power as the Crimson Dragon."

*_Precis som Yanagi berättade. (Just what Yanagi said.)_*, I thought.

"So we're all here", Yusei stated. "So what do we do now?"

"First a history lesson", Goodwin said before starting his long talk.


	21. The Calm before the Storm

**This chapter certainly lives up to its name. You'll see what I mean.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 21: The Calm before the Storm**

After the history class about the Signers, Dark Signers and the ongoing war, we had to stay at the mansion for safety until it was time to head to the Satellite to stop the evil darkness. We also slept over at the mansion in our own rooms. We got a bit upset at few parts of the story, especially when Goodwin said we might have lost already before we could even defeat the Dark Signers.

But what had upset me the most was this prophecy that the Dark Signers had involving the current Crimson Star Priestess, meaning me.

"**When the Crimson Star Priestess shall reach the wall of darkness,**

**her dark spirit shall be taken and her light spirit shall fall into an endless sleep.**

**Once the King of the Netherworld breaks through the surface of the Earth,**

**the two spirits shall face each other in a traumatic battle.**

**If one of them shall fall, so shall the other follow the same destiny.**"

Everyone got so scared at the threat they couldn't hold back their gasps and the twins had nearly jumped onto me, trying to keep me with them.

Goodwin did mention there was another prophecy on the Signers' side, but the only document with the riddle had been destroyed with the information of the Crimson Star Priestess.

Something about the final battle made me feel suspicious. In the anime, there was a final Shadow Duel with Goodwin and his two Synchro dragons that were actually Sun Dragon Inti and Moon Dragon Quilla, but now I had a feeling there would be a _real_ battle.

I sat on a couch with Akiza and Luna as we saw Yusei stand outside on a balcony thinking about his last Duel with Kalin.

"Umm... Yusei...", Luna called.

"I...wouldn't bother him right now", Akiza said.

"What's going on with him, Akiza, Estelle?" Luna asked us. "He's been out there all morning?"

"Yeah", Akiza nodded. "I think he's still trying to come to grips with the fact that his once best friend almost sent him to the Netherworld. It must be tearing him up that one of his old childhood buddies from the Satellite jumped the fence and became one of those Dark Signers."

"That must be rough for him", Luna said sadly.

"Yeah, but... He can't go on with that burden in his heart, thinking it's his fault that Kalin fell into the darkness", I said. "When we face the Dark Signers, he has to let go of the heavy feeling and...try to reach Kalin's heart. Some kind of goodness might still be inside the victims."

"You think so?" Luna asked.

"I don't know, but I hope so", I replied. "If Yusei can reach Kalin's heart by Dueling, there might be a way to find any forgiveness from the real Kalin."

"What do you mean by _real_ Kalin?" Akiza asked.

I sighed deeply. "The evil forces of the shadows are negative spirits that feed on those who's got most grief and negative emotions inside their hearts. Maybe that's how Kalin became a victim and..." I stopped myself before I could go on. "...It's better if I don't say too much for the chain of events."

"Right, you know what will happen because you've seen our adventure back in your dimension", Luna understood.

"Yeah, but now I'm not so sure", I confessed. "Not with that prophecy that my spirit will get divided into two and I might die if I kill my dark spirit."

"No!" Akiza and Luna grabbed each of my arms.

"You're not gonna die! Not around us!" Akiza said.

"You can't leave us!" Luna added.

I smiled at the girls and hugged them each. "Thank you... But we'll see what happens since that prophecy can only be fulfilled if I _do_ fall into that wall of darkness."

"So if you don't fall into it...", Luna began.

"Then I won't die", I smiled.

Akiza sighed in relief. "That's good, because I don't want to lose any of my new friends." She turned to Luna. "Are you having any second thoughts about fighting this Army of Shadows, Luna?"

"No way!" Luna smiled. "I'm in this! The thing is I've got someone I'm trying to help! And I think fighting the Dark Signers is the way to do it!"

I smiled at Luna before rubbing her head. "You've become a big girl during these few months I've been here. I'm proud of you."

Just then Yusei walked in from the balcony. Luna stood up from the couch, walking over to him. "Hey, Yusei, wanna have a practice Duel?" she asked.

"Not right now", Yusei replied. "I need some time alone, Luna."

The raven-haired man walked away with the three of us looking at him. I stood up from the couch, turning to Akiza. "Shall we go outside for some fresh air?"

Akiza nodded as she stood up. "Yeah..."

I turned to Luna. "Luna, you should go and talk to Leo." The little girl blinked confusedly. "Ever since yesterday, he's been acting weird, like he feels being put aside. You should go and have a twin-talk with him."

"Oh... Okay", Luna nodded before walking away.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Akiza and I went to a garden filled with roses in almost every color.

"This garden is so beautiful and peaceful", Akiza commented. "I just want to walk around here forever."

I nodded with a warm smile as I inhaled the scent of the roses. "Me too. Roses are one of my favorite flowers." I stopped to admire a big red rose. "Hey, Aki?"

"Yes?" said girl replied.

"How much do you know about roses?" I asked.

Akiza blinked confusedly. "What do you mean?"

I caressed gently the petals of the rose I was admiring. "Well, the colors on the roses for an example. Do you know what red roses stand for?"

"Umm... Love and passion?" Akiza replied.

"Almost correct", I nodded. "According to the Greek mythology, the roses were created by Adonis's love to Aphrodite. At Adonis's death, it was told he transformed into a red rose. That's why the red rose is associated to erotic love."

"Erotic love?" Akiza said in surprise before she giggled. "That sounds so cute and dirty at the same time!"

I chuckled along. "Yeah, I know. In the Ancient Rom, they used to celebrate the rose during a festival called "Rosalia" on May 11th. The yellow roses often symbolize a false love. You give a yellow rose to the sick ones." I looked on a white rose. "The white rose is often symbolized as pure, but the truth is they symbolize the death."

"What?" Akiza gaped. "I thought the black roses symbolized the death."

"Yeah, but even the white color can reflect the death like the transparent ghosts we read in scary stories", I replied.

"You know quite a lot about roses", Akiza said.

"I've read about them when I got interested in flowers, but only for a short time", I shrugged. "I thought you might want to know such things about roses because of your Black Rose Dragon." Akiza blinked confusedly. "Now that the Black Rose Witch is gone, maybe you should come up with a new nickname. A beautiful nickname that reflects the true you."

Akiza blushed a little. "And... I guess you've already got a new nickname for me?"

I nodded, "Yes, I was thinking about...Rose Queen."

"Rose Queen...", Akiza spelled out the new nickname.

"And the guardian of Rose Queen is the mighty Black Rose Dragon who won't let anyone hurt the queen of roses or any of her comrades", I added. "What do you think?"

"It's...perfect...", Akiza smiled. "Thank you. You've been so kind to me ever since we met at the Fortune Cup."

I returned the smile. "You're welcome, Aki. And I'll be here for all of you." Just then I felt my heart skip a beat, sensing Yusei and Jack having a small fight.

Akiza saw me flinch. "Estelle?"

"I'm okay", I assured her with a smile. "Just felt the boys having a fight, that's all."

"A fight? Yusei and Jack?!"

"Yeah, but it's essential for their friendship."

"How is fighting essential for friendships?"

"Jack is literally knocking some sense into Yusei telling him to stop blaming himself about Kalin."

"Ahh…"

I chuckled at Akiza's reaction. "Let's go and see if they had knocked out each other or they are just bleeding hard."

Akiza smiled before we walked ahead to the fountain. We found the two young men sitting on the grass. The air around them seemed to have finally lost the tension between them.

"Feeling any better?" Akiza asked.

"Yep", Yusei nodded.

"That's good because I was starting to worry. We can't save the world from eminent doom and protect Estelle without you, you know."

"Yeah, I know. Same goes for you, Akiza."

"So… You two are finally brothers again?" I asked the boys.

"You could say it like that", Jack frowned, but I knew he was deep inside happy and relieved.

"Yusei!"

We looked up and spotted the twins run over to us, Luna waving happily while Leo was a few steps behind. "You're going, right?" Luna asked Yusei.

"You bet", he replied with a small smile.

Luna smiled, but then she dropped the smile and turned back at Leo. I saw he had quite a somber expression on his face. When the boy smiled it looked very forced.

"Hey, you guys!" Leo shouted as he rushed up to Yusei. "Are you ready for this? I can't wait to watch you take those Dark Signers down! It's gonna be so totally awesome! You're the best!"

"Thanks", Yusei smiled lightly.

Leo turned to Jack. "You're awesome too, Jack, even though you're not the best anymore."

"Just 'cause I lost doesn't mean I'm not the best!" Jack seemed to be offended.

"Don't worry, I still look up to you and everything!" Leo said with a determined look.

"Look, you! I'm _always_ gonna be the best! You understand me?" Jack retorted.

"Okay, but… Technically, Estelle is the best now", Leo retorted.

"Technically _not_, you worm! _I'm_ the best!"

"You lost your championship! That makes you number 2!"

"Technically, Jack is still the King", I said, making the arguing boys look up at me. "I just won the title "Queen of Games". They all say a king needs a queen who fights alongside him. So when Jack becomes officially the King of Games again we'll become partners in crimes and tag-Duels."

"No thanks, I rather Duel alone", Jack snorted.

"No wonder girls doesn't fall in love with you with that attitude of yours", I retorted teasingly, making the twins and Akiza laugh at my comment. Yusei also smirked, holding back his own laugh. Jack growled with red embarrassed cheeks. He snorted and looked away, crossing his arms.

I decided to drop the joking and go into serious mode. "Now that we'll soon challenge the Dark Signers, I need to confirm one thing…" Everyone turned to me. "Satellite's Shooting Star, Master of Faster, Rose Queen and Princess of Spirits, are you ready to face the darkness and bring back peace to Earth?"

Everyone was quiet for a moment before Akiza was the first one to speak up.

"I… I'm a bit scared, but I will prove to Misty that I didn't kill her little brother. So I'm going to do my best to stop the darkness."

"I'm going because I promised Ancient Fairy Dragon to protect the Spirit World and I'll save her!"

"Well, it's my duty as a Signer and being chosen by the Crimson Dragon to stop the Army of Shadows from reaching the Earth's surface, so count me in!"

"I'm still a bit concerned about Kalin, but I'll prove to him that I never betrayed him and try opening his heart."

I nodded as I reached out my hand, palm down. "One for all and all for one."

Yusei nodded before he placed his hand above mine. Next was Akiza, then Jack and last Luna. I turned to Leo who looked a bit lonely. "Leo." The boy looked up at me. "Being the protector of your little sister, are you also ready to help us out if we need a helping hand, Mecha Boy?"

Leo gaped at the question, but then got a big smile. "Of course I will! You can count on me!" He placed his hand above his sister's.

I smiled at everyone who also looked a bit happy that we were united like this. "And remember… You're never alone because we've got a bond that's stronger than anything else and you've got your Decks to rely on in times of need."

Everyone nodded before we shot up our hands into the air, the atmosphere being full of life and determination.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

After lunch, I stepped outside to the garden. I decided to try practicing on my ability and try creating some moves with the powers I possessed. I could need it for the final battle. But first I needed to talk with one of my Duel Monsters.

I picked up Light End Dragon's card from the pocket of my jacket and held it up in the air. "Come out, Light End Dragon!"

The card started glowing before it shot out of my fingers and materialized into said dragon.

"_**Mistress, you summoned me?**_"

"Yes, because I need some answers about how I ended up in the Spirit World in the very beginning and why I can't remember."

"_**I understand. Your questions shall receive answers.**_" Light End Dragon looked up at the sky. "_**Lord Crimson Dragon had long ago chosen you as the Crimson Star Priestess, right when you were created in the womb of your mother's.**_"

I gaped, "You mean when I was nothing but an embryo? That sounds…a bit absurd."

"_**I admit it is hard to believe, Mistress, but it is the truth. He had been watching over you through your whole life. From your sad and miserable to your joyful and happy moments. He could sense something else that was not a part of the hidden powers he had blessed with you by then.**_"

"And… What was that? My autistic behaviors? My inherited talents for remembering things for a long time and learning things fast?"

Light End Dragon shook her head. "_**None of them. He did notice those strengths of yours, but that was not what he noticed.**_" She grew quiet for a couple of seconds. "_**It was your…inner strength.**_"

"Huh?" I must have looked like a question mark had appeared above my head because I was really lost and confused.

"_**You went from bullying to neglecting and other emotional trauma through your life, and difficult ones too, but yet you still stand like nothing has happened to you. You've got a strength that no other Signer does possess, not even Yusei Fudo or Jack Atlas or Akiza Izinski.**_"

"You're telling me I'm stronger _mentally_ than the others?"

"_**Correct, and that strength of yours and kindness is spreading to the others like earlier today. You encouraged the Signers and even Luna's brother to keep fighting and protect the world.**_"

It was a bit hard to believe because I had never heard anyone telling me that I was like a positive energy source and motivation for someone.

"_**Do not doubt yourself, Mistress. You are more special than you believe. You need to believe in yourself even more.**_"

I nodded, "I'll try… But this doesn't answer the question about how I ended up in the Spirit World when I was 14 years old and why I don't remember it."

"_**You do not remember it because Lord Crimson Dragon erased those memories of yours to keep you safe.**_"

"Keep me safe? Was I in some kind of danger?"

"_**Not exactly… Just a precaution. He knew you were one day going to get interested in Duel Monsters and he did not want to break the chain of events. You could only travel to the Spirit World as soon as you entered the land of dreams.**_"

"So I only visited the Spirit World when I was sleeping? I didn't fall into coma like Luna?"

"_**Correct.**_"

"That explains that strange month… When I was 14 and had a whole month's dreamless nights…"

"_**You should start preparing yourself for the upcoming events, Mistress. You must learn to use your powers for the final battle.**_"

"Battle? It's not going to be a Duel as I thought?"

"_**I shall not reveal more. Now… Start training by using small spells before moving to the difficult ones.**_"

That was Light End Dragon's last words before she turned back into a card and flew back to me. I grabbed the card and looked at it for a couple of seconds before I kissed it and put it in my jacket.

I had watched plenty of anime with magical girls so it shouldn't be hard for me to use different spells.

I started by trying to summon a small fire orb. I held up my right hand, palm up, and concentrated with my heart and brain. I tried to imagine how the fire orb would look like as I tried to summon it with the strength of my heart. It took five seconds before a tennis-sized burning fire orb floated above the palm of my hand.

I tried to make the fire orb twice the size and it was a success. When I tried to grab the orb, the flames didn't hurt me at all. It was like I was immune to fire.

Next I tried summoning several fire orbs at once around me. It took a sting of strength from me, but it was nothing. Soon I was surrounded by fire orbs before I pointed up at the sky. The fire orbs flew up before I stopped them and moved my hands and fingers around, creating three giant circles in the sky with the orbs. The circles moved around as well, listening to the command of my hands and fingers.

I snapped my fingers, making the fire orbs explode like small fireworks. Shiny red powder was floating down to the ground, stopping to glow when they reached the grass.

I smiled at the small achievement I just made, but this was just easy spells. I needed to push myself harder and use stronger spells even if that would zap my energy.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

It became early evening sooner than I thought. I was sitting on the grass, sweating and panting after the training I just had.

I had managed to come up with a couple of spells that would hopefully be useful in the near future. I wanted to save the hardest ones to the last, if there was going to be a battle with my dark spirit.

I walked inside the mansion, seeing how it was empty and quiet. The others must have been watching the gorgeous sundown.

I headed to my room that had a bathroom connected and took a quick shower. I washed my hair and used my powers afterwards to dry it after I had dried myself with a towel.

Before I got dressed, I smelled my clothes and grimaced when I felt the disgusting smell of sweat. I couldn't walk around with smelling clothes, so I quickly washed them with water and soap and used my powers one last time for today to dry them in five seconds. Smelling the clothes again, I didn't catch the sweating smell.

I put on my clothes and was about to head out of my room when Mina peeked in. She looked very scared and upset. "Estelle, something bad has happened in Satellite!"

I wasn't so surprised. It was now time for the prelude of the main event.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Mina led me and the others to a control room in Sector Security HQ that had several screens, showing a smoke-filled Satellite. The smoke was in the shape of a dome all over the garbage island.

"Everyone seems to have vanished", Akiza pointed out as the monitors showed the deserted streets of the Satellite.

"What happened to Satellite?" Luna asked.

"It looks like it's turned into a ghost town", Leo commented.

"It has to be the Dark Signers", Yusei concluded.

"It _is_ them", I nodded.

Jack turned to Mina. "But what did they do?"

"I'm afraid it's a mystery, Jack", Mina replied. "If I guessed, some sorts of mystical barrier that came from somewhere underground."

"Can we fly in?" Yusei asked.

"I think so, but it's dangerous", Mina said. "Scans don't penetrate and…we could lose our vid-feed any second." As if those were the magic words, the Sector Security's monitor lost sight of the Satellite.

"Well, I had enough", Jack said. "I'm going right now! I'm sick of just sitting here doing nothing, you hear me?!"

"Of course! I'll call the helicopter, but Jack, we have no idea what's waiting for you over there", Mina said worriedly.

I turned to Yusei and could sense his worry about the place where he grew up. I didn't know if I should try to comfort him or leave him be.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

My friend and I were guided up to the helicopter platform at the top of the Sector Security HQ building. Mina told us that Goodwin wanted to say some few words before we would leave. We all had our Duel Disks for the Duels at the Satellite, except Yusei and Jack who had their Duel Disks attached on their Duel Runners. Yusei's Duel Runner was still in the Satellite from what I heard.

The sky was now dark with several stars and the moon glowing. Goodwin had joined us while we were waiting for the helicopter.

"Well… This is it…", Luna's voice shook a little.

"Yeah…", Leo nodded hesitantly.

"Jack, can I ask you a question?" Mina asked the blonde man.

"I prefer _not_", Jack retorted.

"But we all know that the Dark Signers love revenge and anger-", Mina continued.

"Your point being? That they might be able to use that against me?" Jack growled. "Carly's out there somewhere, I just know it. And I'm gonna get her back! Even if it means taking out every Dark Signer that dares getting in my way!"

I could see how Mina looked upset. I couldn't blame her. She loved Jack, but apparently Jack didn't feel the same for her because his heart seemed to belong to someone else…

"Let's stay on task, ladies and gentlemen", Goodwin spoke up. "You need to get to the original Ener-D Reactor in the Satellite."

"Original what now?" Akiza asked.

"What's it do?" Leo asked.

I slightly panicked inside my heart. It was going to be quite painful for Yusei now when his parents, especially his father, were going to get into the picture.

"It's the source of the negative energy that caused this dark smoke to appear", Goodwin explained. "And in a twist of fate, it was built by Yusei's father!"

My heart skipped a beat just as Yusei's inner shock affected me. I quickly put a hand on his shoulder trying to calm him down with my presence.

"You mean like _our_ Yusei?" Akiza questioned.

"Are you for real?" Luna was stunned.

"Yeah, are you?" Leo asked.

"Yes, and this is the opportunity to heal the stakes of the past", Goodwin replied. "And now all of you have the chance to make things right again. You _must_ beat the Dark Signers and find the reactor! Then, if you're able, activate it and reverse. Hopefully, this will create a surge of positive energy and imprison the shadow army again." We spotted a helicopter approaching us before it landed on the helicopter platform. "I've arranged for special transportation to the Satellite Sector. I believe you already know the pilot."

"We do?" Leo questioned.

As soon as the helicopter landed, Trudge jumped out from the chopper and saluted. "Reporting as ordered! We're fully fueled and ready for takeoff!"

"That's excellent", Goodwin replied.

"Hope you've packed some peanuts", Yusei commented.

"I'm supposed to fly _you_?!" Trudge became hysterical when he spotted the raven-haired man. "Goodwin, what is it with you and this guy?! You want him in jail, you want him out, now you're getting him in a first-class ride?! Well, you can forget it!"

Mina walked up to Trudge and started convincing him to let Yusei fly in the helicopter. He certainly changed attitude when the blue-haired woman spoke to him.

"Well… That changed his mind", Akiza commented.

"It's obvious Trudge likes Mina", I smiled.

Mina gave us the clear sign, letting us board the helicopter. But before I boarded the chopper, I turned to Goodwin with a serious expression. "Director Goodwin." Said man looked at me with a questioning expression. "I want to hear you promise in front of everyone. Will you finally build the bridge and connect Satellite with New Domino City as soon as the war with the Dark Signers is over?"

"I would never break a promise, especially for our Queen of Games", Goodwin replied.

"I don't care if I'm the Queen of Games", I retorted with a glare. "I want to put an end with the discrimination in this world. And if my sources are right, Satellite is the place where the first King of Games, Yugi Mutou, lived on!" I heard the others gasp in shock in the background. "What do you think Yugi Mutou would say if he was still alive seeing his hometown being divided and so much hate and anger in the air? Well, I think he would try sending his Dark Magician at you to teach you a lesson or two. It's time to move from the past and look towards the future. Everything changes just like how humans change as they grow older and gains experience and knowledge."

Goodwin was quiet for a few seconds before nodding. "Such powerful words from our queen. Very well, I assure you all I _will_ build the bridge and find the fifth Signer."

"Make sure you keep the promise", I said with the glare still in my eyes.

"Come on, pretty girl! We've got no time to waste!" Trudge called.

Goodwin and I shared one last glance before I adjusted my bag and walked up to the helicopter. Everyone else had already boarded it, but Yusei was waiting for me, helping me getting in before the hatch closed. In the boot of the helicopter was Jack's Duel Runner, shiny and polished.

I sat down on the couch with my bag on the floor between my legs as Yusei sat down next to me on the right. Leo sat next to my left side. Trudge warned us before he lifted the helicopter and flew towards the Satellite.

I looked out through the window and spotted Yanagi, Tanner and Dexter standing by a dock waving to us. The twins waved happily back as I slightly waved to our friends. I let out a small sigh as I leant against the couch, feeling a bit exhausted by the inner fear I held. But I refused to back down. I was going to be there with my friends and stop the Dark Signers.


	22. Mark of the Spider

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 22: Mark of the Spider**

Not so shortly after we left the air area of New Domino City, we entered the thick mist that surrounded Satellite. I got goosebumps all over my body when I sensed the darkness around us and the lightning outside didn't help much. Luckily no one seemed to have noticed me shivering because they were all focusing on their own thoughts and worry. I could feel it through our bond with our Marks.

"You seem to know", Akiza turned to Mina. "What's the whole story behind this old reactor thing?"

"They call the incident "Zero Reverse"; a massive energy reactor being built by a group known as the R.R.D. malfunctioned and released a powerful charge of negative energy", Mina explained. "That's what separated Satellite from the mainland of Domino City. The head of the Reactor Research Division, the one in the charge of the reactor project, was Yusei's father."

"Whoa!" Leo exclaimed and looked at Yusei. "So if that was your dad's project, what happened to him with the negative energy and stuff?"

"Don't be dense!" Luna scolded her brother. "What do you think happened?"

"What? What'd I say?" Leo asked dumbly.

"Go back a few!" Trudge shouted from the driving seat. "Why would they put some low one from the Satellite in charge of such an important project?!"

"Yusei and his dad were both born in New Domino City", Jack replied.

Trudge's face showed he was totally surprised by the news. "So you're saying this Satellite-reject isn't actually a Satellite-reject?!"

"I was born in the Satellite, Trudge", Jack glared. "Got a problem with that?"

"Uh… No… Of course not…", Trudge replied before turning back to the control panel.

"That's right, turn your head around", Jack spat.

"Say, uh… Is this lightning bothering anyone else?" Trudge asked. "One strike and we're finished. I'm thinking we should turn this bird around."

"Our primary directive is to reach Satellite!" Mina told him.

Yusei stood up and walked up to the male officer, placing his hand on Trudge's shoulder before pointing at something outside. "Set us down near that building in the park", the raven-haired boy demanded. When Trudge didn't reply, Mina ordered him to do what Yusei said.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

We landed outside of Martha's house where she, Blister and two children waited by the door. We gathered by the hatch and waited for it to lower down. Once it was down, Yusei waved to the group by the house.

We stepped outside as Martha rushed over to Jack with tears in her eyes. "Oh, look at you, Jackie boy!" the woman cried happily.

"Hi, Martha", Jack spoke with a nice voice for once.

"I can't believe how big you've gotten", Martha smiled.

"Well, it _has_ been quite a while since I left, you know", Jack said a bit modestly.

"Do that thing you used to do", Martha held up her right hand. "An adorable little prince routine."

I tried to hold back my giggle by holding my mouth, but it didn't help me from getting a glare from Jack.

The blonde man hesitated, but did what Martha asked for. He grabbed her hand and got down on one knee. "Greetings, most fairest of maidens. May this prince kiss your hand?"

I giggled even more against my hand, but soon I stopped when Jack glared daggers at me.

Akiza who stood next to me arched an eyebrow. "You knew about this?"

"Well, of course. It was a part of the anime in my world", I replied. "I bet this was the major scene when Jack's fangirls boosted up to ten millions when they saw how princely he was."

"Fangirls in your dimension?" Jack asked after he had been hugged by Martha.

"Well, the girls in my world who are obsessed at watching anime about handsome princes often dreams about being in the heroine's place to receive the affections", I replied. "Shortly, they fall in love with their favorite characters."

"They fall in love with a character that isn't real?" Akiza wondered.

"Yep", I nodded. "I can't blame them. I used to fall in love in a couple of fictional characters when I was younger, even now when I'm an adult."

Children were now gathering around us, especially around Yusei and Jack who were their big brother figures. I counted up to five children; three boys and two girls.

"Isn't that a bit childish?" Akiza asked.

"I admit it is, but…", I hugged myself and looked up at the sky. "It's better to have a fictional character to love while you're single and try to find the ideal man in the meantime."

I spoke by my own experience. I often fell in love with handsome boys, including Yusei, when I watched anime. I never had a boyfriend… Well… An almost-boyfriend, but it was actually nothing between us and that man was a psychopath behind that mask he had been wearing. Luckily I had only been with him for one month before the "relationship" ended.

I snapped out of it when a small girl in five years stepped up to me and Akiza. She had brown hair tied up into a left side ponytail and had blue eyes. She was dressed in a pink, long-sleeved shirt, an orange skirt and a pair of red pumps. A seven years old girl stood behind her, having long black hair and blue eyes as well. She had a white shirt, dark lime shorts, white socks and brown loafers.

I knelt down to the five years old girl's eyelevel with a small smile. "Hi."

"A-Are you Estelle, the Queen of Games?" the girl asked.

I nodded, "Yes, it's me."

The girl's eyes shone up along with a happy smile. "I watched you Duel during the Fortune Cup! I love your Deck!"

"Thank you", I smiled. "What's your name?"

"I'm Julia, your biggest fan!" the girl smiled.

"And I'm Anna", the black-haired girl spoke up. "I'm looking after Julia as a big sister."

"You're doing a good job, Anna", I said. "Keep up with it because you need to support each other during the whole life."

"Yes!" the two girls smiled before they rushed back to their friends.

"You seem to know how to handle kids", Akiza said as I stood up.

"Well… I like children and I hope I will become a mother in the future", I smiled sadly.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

We went inside Martha's house to listen to her story about what had happened in the Satellite when the fog appeared. After the small meeting, I asked if I could help Martha with the cooking which she appreciated.

I tied up my hair into a low ponytail and stepped inside the kitchen where Martha prepared the tools and ingredients for the dinner. I pulled the sleeves of my shirt up to the elbows.

"What shall I start with?" I asked as I put on an apron.

"You can start with the potatoes, dear", Martha said as she handed me a knife.

I took the tool and started peeling the potatoes before chopping them on a chopping board. Martha inspected the pieces I chopped up. "You're really good working in the kitchen."

"Well, I used to help my mother making lunch and I did cook myself", I replied. "And when I became Leo and Luna's babysitter, I was the one who made their meals."

"The man who'll marry you will be very lucky to have you as his wife", Martha smiled.

I stopped chopping the potatoes when I heard that sentence. It was a very sore point to me.

Martha noticed my sudden change of mood. "Estelle?"

"Sorry…", I replied lowly. "It's just… Boys, or men now, were never showing interest on me. I finished school via distance, meaning I never met anyone. I lived quite an isolated life with no friends. If I went somewhere to play games, it was in another town and boys never tried to get close to me. Sure, I talked to them and made jokes to lighten up the mood, but they never tried to show…any other signs." I placed down the knife on the desk, now struggling to hold back my tears. "The only man I ever dated was just by forcing. He was actually a psychopath, but Mom and I didn't notice it until the last chat between him and me on a forum. He called me horrible things and he deceived us by taking some money for a new couch just before his small apartment was going to get renovated." I realized I had just blurted out everything about my love life. "Sorry… I didn't mean to blurt out all this stuff…"

"I understand", Martha told me with a gentle voice. "You've seemed to have gone through a lot, haven't you?"

I picked up a tissue from the pocket of my jeans and wiped away the tears from the eyes. "Yes… From bullying to neglecting and emotional trauma. But… I'm still standing. I didn't collapse or go in the wrong way unlike the other children in the special class I knew."

"Special class?" Martha wondered.

I quickly told her my life story about me having autistic behaviors, going in a special class for children with autism in elementary and middle school before I went with the distance school. I also told her I came from another dimension and all the stuff about her and the others being nothing but fictional characters.

"Estelle, if I may ask, how old are you?" Martha asked as she added some spices in the stew.

"Twenty-two", I replied as I now chopped carrots. "People with neurological disorders always look younger for their age."

"You may look younger, but you've got a natural beauty unlike all the other girls I've seen in the Satellite", Martha said. "No wonder Yusei has taken a liking on you."

I blushed hard when I heard that. "W-What do you mean by that?"

"When Yusei got hurt during the Duel with Kalin, he was a bit depressed when he heard you left", Martha explained. "He told me all about this war with the Dark Signers, the role of the Signers and also a lot about you."

"H-He did…?" I felt my heart beat harder which I tried to calm down. "B-But… He's four years younger than me…"

"When it comes to love, things like age can be overlooked", Martha added before she smirked lightly. "You like him, don't you?"

I looked down at the desk, feeling my cheeks being hot. "I…I kind of see him as a brother right now… But… I'm not sure if what I feel for him is love or friendship."

"You'll know in time", Martha clapped me on my shoulder. "And if something ends up between you two, you've got my blessing."

"Martha!" I exclaimed with red cheeks, making her laugh at my reaction.

Trudge entered the kitchen, looking for something to do. Martha gave him the mission to make some bread rolls for the stew.

I spotted a little figure standing by the door, realizing it was Julia. I smiled at her before waving my hand. She smiled shyly and waved back before she left.

"Is Julia the little fan you mentioned before?" I asked Martha as I helped them making the bread rolls.

"Yep, that's her", Martha nodded. "She refused to leave the TV when you were Dueling at the Fortune Cup while cheering for you. When the boys told her you were a weak Duelist, Julia told them you were not and almost attacked them like a kitty." The woman chuckled at the last part.

"It's the first time I've ever had a fan like this", I smiled. "I hope I won't disappoint her if I lose one day."

"I'm sure you won't", Martha assured me.

Trudge was just growling and muttering nonsense while he kneaded the dough, making me and Martha smile to each other.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Martha and I served the dinner in the dining room. Yusei, Jack and Blister had set up another table for the children so they could sit and eat with us.

The seating arrangement on the left went Anna, Yusei, me with Julia sitting on my lap, Leo, Luna and Akiza. On the right side went the three boys; Mitch, Taka and John, Jack, Mina and Blister. On the edges of the table sat Martha and Trudge.

"This looks great!" the children exclaimed happily.

Leo and Luna hesitated on eating the stew.

"Don't worry, Leo and Luna", I told them. "I helped making the food so it's not poisoned."

The twins looked at each other before they tasted the stew. They chew on the small carrot and potato pieces before their eyes shone brightly.

"This is delicious, isn't it?" John exclaimed happily.

"It's awesome!" Mitch agreed, eating a piece of a bread roll.

"The cool guy from Security and the Queen of Games made it for us", Taka pointed out.

Everyone turned to Trudge, not believing that he could actually cook. The children started thanking him before continuing eating.

Trudge was hesitating on eating his share before he took a sip. His face grew red before he drunk his whole cup of water. "It's too spicy!"

The children laughed at the comment.

I tasted my own share of stew. "I think it's perfect. Maybe your taste buds are used to all the fast food you eat at Sector Security 24/7 that you forgot how real meals taste like." It added more laughter from the children, including the twins. "But I admire men who can cook. They can be useful for their wives when they get sick or being tired." I turned to Mina with a small smile. "Don't you think so too, Mina?"

Mina looked caught off, but nodded slightly. "Y-Yeah…"

Trudge turned to me with a surprised expression, but I gave him a small wink, telling him to keep trying to win Mina's heart. I thought Mina was being too blind to notice that there were other men who loved her while she chased after Jack who didn't return her feelings.

Julia was cuddling into me, making me smile warmly as I fed her. After she had finished chewing, I couldn't help but plant a small kiss on the top of her head. She was so cute!

The conversations came and went, including the part when Yusei announced the bridge was going to get built after the war with the Dark Signers. The children got happy to hear the news that they could now plan to achieve their dreams. Julia said out loud she wanted to become a beautiful Duelist like me which made me smile and hug her close to me.

But the joyful moment was over when the lightning hit the ground just outside of the window, the shockwave shattering it into millions of pieces. I immediately used my powers to create a force field protecting us from the glass. Everyone looked surprised by the red force field around us, but then spotted my Mark glowing through my sleeve.

When all the glass had fallen down on the floor, the force field disappeared on my command.

"What was that?!" Yusei stood up from his seat.

"Is everyone okay?" Martha asked.

We all stood up when we heard evil laughter coming from outside. A dark figure stood in the shadows, dressed in a robe, before the lightning hit the ground just behind him to reveal a shadow shaped as a spider on the ground.

My Mark glowed painfully, telling me this Dark Signer was the strongest among them.

"Estelle…", Julia mumbled, gripping my jeans.

"That's the leader…of the Dark Signers", I grimaced by the pain.

Yusei looked at me for a second before he rushed over to the broken window. "Who are you?! What do you want with us?!"

The wind blew the hood off the Dark Signer's head, revealing blonde hair and a blood red marker on his face. "Sorry to interrupt your dinner. My name is Roman and I bear the Mark of the Spider." He held up his glowing arm with said Mark.

"The Mark of the Spider… Just like in the vision we saw!" Yusei exclaimed.

"I've heard that there are four Signers and one Priestess visiting", Roman said. "I thought I'll come and welcome you. Of course, we Dark Signers have only one way in saying hello." He held up his left arm with a black Duel Disk.

"Bring it on, punk!" Jack was about to challenge Roman when Yusei got in his way.

"No! We can't Duel here. It's not safe!" the raven-haired man said. "Everyone will get swallowed up if he summons an Immortal. I'll try leading him away. You look after Martha and the kids!"

Jack wanted to argue, but swallowed his pride. Yusei jumped out through the window, telling Roman to follow him. Akiza followed the soon-Dueling duo as Jack and I led the others to safety, but the three small boys said they had to visit the bathroom quickly.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Our Marks were glowing, telling us the Shadow Duel with Roman had begun. Martha led us to a room, but only then we realized the three boys were missing!

Martha, Jack and I rushed outside, seeing the Mark of the Spider at the sky. Martha growled before she ran towards the downtown where the Shadow Duel was occurring.

"Martha!" Jack called.

"I'm on it!" Trudge shouted before following the woman.

I made a decision and turned to Jack. "Jack, I'm going too. It's now up to you to stay and protect the others."

"But the Dark Signers could be after you", Jack retorted.

"Don't worry", I said, holding up my left arm with my Duel Disk. "I've got everything I need and more." I turned around and rushed after Trudge and Martha. I wasn't the athletic type, so I decided to get a small ride.

"Come out, Rallis the Star Bird!" I called.

A light shot out from my Duel Disk, materializing into said Duel Monster. Rallis roared before I jumped up on him. He flapped his wings before shooting up to the air following Martha and Trudge.

The two adults looked up and gaped in surprise when they saw me riding on Rallis. "What the… How'd you do that?" Trudge asked.

"With my powers!" I replied before I flinched in pain. I could sense how Yusei just got hurt by that direct attack as in the anime.

"Are you okay?" Trudge asked.

"I'm fine. I can feel the other's pain through our bond and Marks", I replied.

"You mean Yusei just got hurt?!" Martha asked worriedly.

I could only nod as answer. Rallis shrieked when we reached the flames of the Spider Mark. Rallis landed next to Trudge and Martha, letting me jump down from his back before he returned to my Deck.

"Whoa… Check it out, Martha…", Trudge was a bit stunned. "That purple wall of mist looks like it goes on forever and ever."

"Where are the boys?" Martha asked worriedly.

"Let's go up that building for a better look!" I pointed at the building next to us.

We rushed upstairs and went to the closest window, having a perfect view of the Duel. Martha spotted John and Mitch next to the Duel field that was covered by a gigantic spider web.

"My boys… They're trapped!" Martha gasped.

"They'll be fine. Once the Duel's done, they'll both be free", Trudge assured her.

"Akiza!" I called, getting the girl's attention.

"Estelle! Roman is about to summon an Earthbound Immortal!" Akiza shouted back. "The boys' spirits will be taken!"

Martha gasped at the news. "Yusei!" Said man looked up at the building. "Don't even think about losing this Duel!" Yusei nodded before turning back to the Duel.

I saw the small boys being scared, holding each other for comfort. I had to do something, even if I couldn't protect them from getting sucked into the incoming Earthbound Immortal.

"Chaos-End Master, protect the boys!" I called.

A new light shot out from my Deck and materialized the Tuner Monster. He dived down to the boys, holding them close to him so he could comfort them.

But just then Roman had all the four torches for his Special summon. The heart-like seed appeared in the sky, beating as it absorbed the negative energy. I saw the two boys' souls about to be absorbed when Jack showed up with his Duel Runner.

Jack drove through the purple flames and landed next to the boys before he jumped out of his Runner and grabbed the boys out from Chaos-End Master's arms. Jack's arm started glowing as a red aura surrounded him and the boys, protecting them.

Martha sighed in relief. "Oh, Jack… You saved them!"

"I guess that guy's not all bad after all", Trudge smirked.

"And you only thought about that now?" I asked sarcastically before I gripped my jacket, feeling pain spread from my heart. I also sensed Luna being nearby through the connection with our Marks.

I nearly screamed when I felt Earthbound Immortal Uru zap some of my energy, gripping my jacket as I panted deeply.

"Estelle, you okay?" Trudge asked worriedly.

I coughed, tasting blood in my mouth. "N-No… E-Earthbounds…can z-zap m-my energy… L-Like r-right now… B-But this ti-time… It's s-stronger…"

Uru was about to attack Yusei directly when he activated his Trap card, reflecting the attack that hit the building. Trudge held me and Martha as we felt the building shake and move in an angle that was dangerous.

Just then we heard a scream above us.

"Did you hear that?!" Trudge asked. "Up above!"

"It must be Taka!" Martha exclaimed.

I coughed once again, spitting out some blood. Why was I suddenly getting weaker than usual? Was it because Earthbound Immortal Uru was the strongest of them all?

We rushed up to the rooftop, seeing Taka holding on for dear life at the edge. "Martha, please help me! I'm so scared!" the boy called when he spotted us.

"Hold on!" Trudge shouted.

"I'll save you!" Martha called before she carefully tried to get to him. I heard Yusei and Jack shout her name worriedly.

"I'm going too…", I mumbled.

Trudge grabbed my arm, holding me back. "You can't! Not in your condition!"

I snatched my arm out of his grip before following Martha, ignoring everyone who screamed my name.

I made it safely to Martha and Taka. The boy was apologizing over and over again. "I'm sorry… I… I just wanted to help out Yusei."

"Don't worry", Martha shook her head. "But what do you say we'll try helping Yusei from downstairs on the ground?"

"Let's go…", I said, helping them crawl back to Trudge who held out his hand.

The building was rumbling again, warning us that another powerful tremble was coming.

"The boy goes first", Martha said, pushing Taka up to Trudge.

Trudge grabbed Taka and pulled him up to safety just as another rumble went through the building, throwing me and Martha back. We tried to crawl back, but we ended up sliding back down, now unable to reach Trudge's hand.

My body was getting weaker by each second. Even my powers seemed to slowly fade away. I looked over my shoulder, seeing Chaos-End Master fly up towards us while he dissipated into particles, showing my powers were so weak I couldn't summon any Duel Monsters. I coughed once again, feeling blood run down from the corner of my mouth.

"Martha, Estelle, keep trying!" Trudge shouted.

Martha shook her head with a small sad smile. "Promise me one thing. Please watch over my kids when I'm gone."

"M-Martha…", my voice shook due to exhaustion.

"You're not going anywhere! Got that?!" Trudge retorted. "Your kids need you, Martha! You can't give up! Neither can you, Estelle! The Signers… Everyone needs you!"

"Martha! Estelle!" Yusei and Jack shouted.

Martha smiled warmly at the two young adults. "Oh, boys… It warms my heart to see you as friends again… One more thing. Win this, beat this darkness and make this quick, 'cause I'll be waiting for you-" She just then lost her grip on the concrete, sliding down next to me.

"MARTHA!" Yusei screamed.

I quickly grabbed Martha's hand, holding her back from falling to her doom. But it added more strain to me as I felt my arms going numb. The screams echoed around me as I tried pulling up Martha.

"Estelle, let go!" Martha told me.

"N-No…", I panted, feeling my hands getting sweaty.

"You must! Everyone needs you!" Martha retorted.

"I-I still r-refuse…", I replied, not having strength to argue.

I felt the hand I used to hold onto the wall slowly losing its grip.

"Estelle… Please…", Martha pleaded.

I shook my head before coughing again, spitting out blood on the wall. The Duel seemed to have been on hold-up because I didn't hear any action from the battlefield.

I wished I had long and sharp nails so I could dig them into the concrete and somehow climb up to Trudge. Then a thought and idea came in mind. I didn't know if it was going to work, but I had to try.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on the bond I had with Luna and Akiza, hoping that I could borrow some power of their Marks and manipulate it for my own use.

"Lend me your strength… Akiza and Luna…", I whispered.

In the next moment, I sensed a slight boost in my strength, feeling a bit recovered as my hands and feet started glowing. I looked up at my hand and saw how it was surrounded by a red aura as my nails grew brighter, some of the aura digging into the concrete. I felt I got a better hold onto the concrete as I felt the same with my feet. I glanced down and saw my shoes being surrounded by the same red aura, but they were formed as the feet of a dragon with long, sharp claws.

I pushed my feet on the concrete, feeling the claws drill into the wall. I could now try to climb up to Trudge and hand him Martha.

"M-Martha…", I mumbled. "C-Climb…"

I didn't wait for a reply as I started climbing up slowly, using my feet to push myself up as I pulled Martha along. Trudge watched me with widen eyes before he reached out his hand when I was a few feet away from him.

But instead of letting him pull me up, I pulled Martha to him. "T-Take her first…"

Trudge didn't retort as he grabbed Martha's other wrist, pulling her up. Taka was crying in joy and hugged her as soon as the woman was at safety.

Just then I felt the power I borrowed from Luna and Akiza fade away, sliding down the wall again before Trudge could grab me. "Estelle!" he yelled.

"Estelle, no!" Martha and Taka shouted.

"ESTELLE!" the others shouted.

I looked over my shoulder, giving my friends a small smile. I collected all my strength to shout out my last words. "Don't lose hope! Keep fighting!"

I lost my grip, falling down towards the purple flames. Now I knew what the first part of that prophecy was about. The wall of darkness was meant to be the flames that depicted the Nazca Lines.

I heard everyone scream my name desperately as I felt my spirit being ripped out of my body. I closed my eyes and let a single tear escape my eye before I fell into the darkness.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Everyone looked terrified as they saw Estelle fall into the purple flames, her body being engulfed by the flames before she disappeared. Leo and Luna cried out desperately with tears in their eyes, making Mina and Blister hold them so they wouldn't do something crazy. Taka was crying on Martha's chest as the woman rocked him gently with unshed tears in her eyes while Trudge sat next to them, clenching his fist as he blamed himself for not saving Estelle in time.

Jack held John and Mitch who had seen everything as well, trying to comfort them as he hissed angrily through his teeth while glaring at Roman. Akiza was holding her hand against her mouth, feeling her heart getting broken when she had seen her best friend fall into the darkness.

Yusei was the most affected of them all. He had screamed out in anger as his heart beat furiously.

"Excellent", Roman smirked. "The first part of the prophecy has come true. The Crimson Star Priestess's spirit has been taken to the Netherworld!" He started laughing so loud it echoed around him.

"Shut up your big mouth, Roman!" Jack growled, his anger being ten times bigger than usual. "Yusei, you know what to do! Go take care of that spider _now_!"

"He's right!" Akiza told Yusei. "You still got a Shadow Duel to win!"

"What are you waiting for?!" Trudge yelled from the rooftop. "Do what she said! Now go and get some Shadow Deck and beat them!"

Yusei glared daggers at Roman, his heart clenching in an anger he had never felt before. "You're gonna pay for this…"

"Oh, but she's not lost forever", Roman replied with a smirk. "She's still alive, but the darkness is right now transforming her spirit for the purpose of us Dark Signers-"

Just before Yusei could begin his turn, everyone heard the roar of a dragon. They looked at the direction where Estelle had fallen, seeing a big silhouette among the flames. A pair of eyes glowed yellow before a pair of wings appeared among the purple mist before flying up to the air. It turned out to be Star Eater, Estelle's ace Synchro dragon.

"Star Eater?!" Akiza gaped.

"How'd it appear like that?" Jack arched an eyebrow.

Trudge's small group spotted an unconscious figure resting against the dragon's neck before gasping in shock. "It's Estelle!" Trudge exclaimed.

"HUH?!" everyone, except Roman, exclaimed.

"She's not gone?" Akiza mumbled.

"I did say her _spirit_ was taken, not her _body_", Roman corrected. "But it will take more than Shadow Duels to bring her back to life."

"And I'll do everything I can with the power of my Deck to save Estelle!" Yusei announced determinedly before he drew a card, starting his turn.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Roman ended up using Rally when he was losing, but Rally sacrificed himself so Yusei could win which he did. Leo, Luna, Mina and Blister rushed to the field as soon as the Nazca Line disappeared.

Star Eater lowered his neck to the ground so Blister could grab Estelle bridal style just as she was about to slid off the dragon. Everyone gathered around him, looking if the young woman was okay. Before anyone could ask questions about the blood around her mouth, they heard Roman laugh. They turned around and spotted him and four more Dark Signers close to the crater where Earthbound Immortal Uru had been standing. Yusei recognized Kalin as Akiza recognized Misty among the Dark Signers. The other two had their hoods down, hiding their faces for the Signers. But they could all see that one of the Dark Signers was a man while other one was a woman. The hooded man introduced himself as Devack before he revealed he had Ancient Fairy Dragon's card.

Roman explained for Yusei and the others that the Signers had to Duel the Dark Signers at the Four Stars of Destiny before they departed. Yusei, Akiza and Jack ran after the Dark Signers, but Akiza and Yusei stopped when they had heard Martha tell them not to. But Jack ignored her and rushed after the hooded woman.

Jack managed to reach her and ripped off the hood to reveal Carly. He literally froze in shock. He asked Carly how she became a Dark Signer, but the girl ignored him and ran away as a tear left her face and streamed behind her.

Jack pulled out her broken glasses from his pocket and cradled them in his hand. He felt his heart beat strangely, something he had never experienced before. He grunted furiously before he put the glasses back and rushed back to his friends, worried about Estelle's condition.


	23. Before the Shadow Duels

**I've been quite depressed and not in good mood lately…because of family matters and the loss of my paternal grandmother whose funeral was on this Thursday. My father went down to his home country to attend the funeral. Mom and I didn't go because we don't have the mental capacity to travel so far anymore.**

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter which is on normal point of view all the way.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 23: Before the Shadow Duels**

The Dark Signers had gathered in their headquarters, having one last chat before the Shadow Duels with their assigned opponents. But this time they were having company by a sixth member.

The new member was a young woman with dark clothes consisting of a purple tube top, a ripped purple skirt with a belt that covered her private parts front and back, a pair of purple gloves with small black dots around the wrists, long black boots that reached over her knees, and a long black cloth that was decorated with purple embroidery at the edge. On her back was a pair of bone wings signaling death all around her. Her cloth was covering her face as well as the shadows while she sat with crossed arms and legs.

"Tomorrow is finally the time", Kalin grinned. "I'm so looking forward to send Yusei to the Netherworld and let him join his lost friends!" He let out a maniacally laugh.

"The Black Rose will pay for killing my little brother", Misty said darkly. "I can _never_ forgive her for what she's done."

"That little girl is going to need all her courage to get back her little fairy dragon", Devack chuckled.

The woman with the hood that had orange embroidery remained silent, but her eyes reflected a sadness that none of the other Dark Signers could understand.

Roman smirked before he turned to the sixth member. "Remember, your counterpart will wake up once the four towers are reversed, so you should also prepare yourself so the prophecy will be fulfilled."

The shadowed figure chuckled darkly. "Oh, don't worry, Roman." A pair of purple eyes shone on the shadowed face. "My counterpart will taste the delicious spice of death. The darkness she fears."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

At the very same moment, Yusei's group had made it back to Martha's house with an unconscious Estelle. Said woman was now laying on a couch in the living room, covered up to collarbone by a blanket. Doctor Schmidt had come over when Martha had called him to check Estelle.

The others sat or stood around Estelle while Doctor Schmidt checked her heartbeat and pulse. Martha had brought a small washbowl and a cloth, wiping off the dried blood around Estelle's mouth and the line of blood that went down to her chin.

"How's her condition, Doctor?" Martha asked.

"Her heartbeat is normal, but her pulse is a bit low like she's in some kind of coma", Dr. Schmidt replied.

The children, especially Julia and Taka, were crying hard for seeing their new big sister figure being unconscious because her spirit had been taken by the bad guys.

"I'm sorry… It's my fault", Taka blamed himself. "It's because Martha and Estelle tried to save me!"

Martha put the cloth at the edge of the washbowl before she hugged Taka close to her. "There, there, Taka… Don't blame yourself."

Trudge fell down on his hands and knees. "I'm so sorry! I was right there with you and yet this still happened! If I had just grabbed Estelle's hand in time… It's all my fault!"

Jack growled, having enough of hearing everyone cry and blame themselves for Estelle's current condition. "That's enough! Knock it off, you dolts!" He grabbed everyone's attention by his outburst. "Stop trying to take credit for everything!"

Yusei nodded in agreement. "What he means is you're not the ones to blame. This is all the Dark Signers' doing. They've taken Estelle, Rally and my friends. We're not gonna sit around and blame ourselves for things the bad guys did. But I'll tell you what we _are_ gonna do about it. We're gonna defeat the Dark Signers and get everyone back!"

Everyone was surprised by Yusei's speech. He sounded quite convincing, but Martha had a glance that said she could see through the boy she had raised.

"Wait one moment! Are you really saying that you can bring everyone back?" Dr. Schmidt asked.

"That's right", Yusei nodded.

"How is that possible?" the doctor questioned.

"Everything that's happened so far both here and in New Domino City has been the work of an evil power, Dr. Schmidt", Yusei explained. "The destruction of the two cities… The mystical symbols appearing… The crazy lights suddenly erupting from the depths of the Earth… The mysterious fog that came out of nowhere and covered everything… The Dark Signers caused it all. They're using the energy of the people taken to gain more power!"

"So, if you defeat the Dark Signers, everything goes back to normal?" Dr. Schmidt asked.

"Yes", Yusei nodded.

"You can really get Estelle back?" Taka asked.

"And everyone else?" John wondered.

"Is that true, Yusei?" Julia asked desperately.

"Yeah, we really can", Yusei nodded as he knelt down to the children's eyelevel. "Guys… My friends and I are gonna fix everything. I promise. But right now, you have to stay positive. You need to be brave and help Martha take care of everyone who's still here."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Martha sent the children to bed and shooed away the doctor too. She closed the door and turned to the Signers, Trudge, Mina, Leo and Blister who remained in the living room.

"You sounded very convincing in front of the children, Yusei", Martha started. "But I know you better than that."

"That was quite the promise you made out there", Jack told Yusei. "We defeat the Dark Signers and then everyone who disappeared will just magically reappear? You don't know that's true."

"I know…", Yusei confessed, his eyes hiding under the bangs.

"So why lie?!" Jack exclaimed.

Trudge stepped in. "They expected us to tell the truth!"

"Look… That's something I need to believe", Yusei replied.

Jack sat down on a chair and hit the coffee table in anger. Trudge grabbed the scuff of Yusei's jacket and growled. "What about the kids?! They deserve better than that, don't they?!"

"Hey, come on!" Leo tugged Trudge's sleeve. "Everyone's upset! Yusei's just trying to give us a little hope!"

Trudge growled, but let go of Yusei and cursed. "Stupid hope…"

Martha clapped her hands, getting everyone's attention. "Everyone, listen to yourselves. You're blaming each other and try to cause a fight? That's not what Estelle would want you to do!"

Luna sat close to Estelle and held the woman's hand. "Martha is right… Estelle would tell us to keep fighting and take down the Dark Signers… She would encourage us to move on."

"Just before she fell into those purple flames she did yell to you guys to not lose hope and keep fighting", Martha added.

"Wait…", Trudge was a bit lost. "Does that mean she knew things but didn't tell us?!"

"Because she didn't want to break the chain of events", Akiza told the officer.

"Estelle mentioned there is a prophecy involved", Martha said. "How did it go?"

Akiza swallowed nervously. "Something like this… When the Crimson Star Priestess shall reach the wall of darkness, her dark spirit shall be taken and her light spirit shall fall into an endless sleep. Once the King of the Netherworld breaks through the surface of the Earth, the two spirits shall face each other in a traumatic battle. If one of them shall fall, so shall the other follow the same destiny."

"Then there is still hope left for Estelle", Martha said, surprising everyone. "The prophecy says Estelle's good and dark sides will face each other so she might wake up at the time of need."

"So Estelle will wake up? Is that what you're saying, Martha?" Leo asked with hopeful eyes.

"I believe so", Martha nodded.

Leo cheered loudly and happily as the others started feeling better by the news.

"Well, that did take some fighting to figure it out", Blister commented.

"Then we shouldn't stay here and disappoint her", Akiza smiled. "We should go and face the Dark Signers and reverse the reactor!" Everyone nodded in agreement.

Mina explained about the Four Stars of Destiny for everyone. The Four Stars were control units of the original Ener-D Reactor and they were also codenamed after Nazca Lines; the Giant, the Lizard, the Hummingbird and the Monkey. The original Ener-D Reactor was codenamed after the Spider. Mina also explained the Signers had to go to each control unit and activate them with the cards of the Signer Dragons so they could stop the flow of negative energy.

Mina pulled out a map showing where four units were located. They were quite spread out, far away from each other.

"What's the plan? Head out to the units one by one?" Trudge asked.

"That'd be a huge waste of time", Jack said. "Besides, a Duel is one-on-one. We're gonna have to split up and go solo." He pulled up the sleeve of his jacket, revealing his Mark. "Four Signers, four control stations… It's a no-brainer. Who knows, maybe this is more of Goodwin's destiny-work."

"We were just starting to become a real team", Luna spoke up.

"We're still a team, Luna", Yusei told her. "All of us. Even if we're apart, we're still fighting for the same thing."

"I guess you're right", Luna nodded.

"Who's going where?" Trudge asked.

"I'm pretty sure that the Mark of the Giant is Kalin, so I'll go there", Yusei said. "He and I have business."

"The Lizard is Misty's Mark", Akiza said. "I'll head over to that station."

"Devack is the Monkey and… I have to get Ancient Fairy Dragon, so I'm gonna take him on", Luna said.

"And I'm gonna go so I can root for ya!" Leo smiled at his sister.

"So the Hummingbird must be…", Jack didn't finish his sentence as he thought of Carly and her saddened expression. "…that other girl."

"You kids want to ride to your battle in a Sector patrol car?" Trudge asked the twins with a smile.

Luna nodded, accepting the officer's offer.

"And if it's okay, I'll go with you, Akiza", Mina told the girl.

"Sure", Akiza nodded.

"Guess Martha and I are stuck at home again watching the kids and Estelle", Blister said a bit ironically. "Now I hope you all have fun saving the world." Martha pinched his ear, causing him to yelp out in pain.

"We will", Yusei nodded.

"Roman said they'll be expecting you kids tomorrow, so I suggest you all go and sleep so you can Duel with clear minds", Martha suggested.

"Agreed, but before that…", Mina reached for her pocket on her jacket and pulled out a couple of cards. "I have something for you." Everyone turned to the bluette who showed them the cards. "Estelle told me to give you these cards."

The cards were Estelle's Synchro dragons, except Star Eater, and the two Tuner Monsters Fire Ant Ascator and Supay.

"Those are Estelle's cards!" Akiza exclaimed.

"Why would she want us taking them?" Luna wondered.

"Before dinner, Estelle pulled me aside and told me this…", Mina started.

***FLASHBACK***

_Estelle pulled out the small set of cards from the pocket of her jacket and handed them over to Mina._

_"Mina, if anything would happen to me, tell them to use my cards during the upcoming Duels", Estelle explained._

_"Upcoming Duels? What do you mean?" Mina asked._

_Estelle sighed slightly. "Yusei and the others are going to Duel the Dark Signers and they need more support than ever. I've learned that my dragons were supporters for the Signer Dragons during the ancient battle with the Army of the Shadows, helping each Signer Dragon. So…"_

_"I think I understand", Mina nodded. "I'll give them the cards when it's time."_

_"Thank you, Mina", Estelle said with a small smile. "Now, who's going to have which card are-"_

***END OF FLASHBACK***

"Yusei, you're going to challenge Kalin, so take Sun Dragon Inti and Fire Ant Ascator", Mina held out the two cards for the raven-haired man. "Estelle told me you can only Synchro summon Sun Dragon Inti with this Tuner Monster."

Yusei nodded and took the cards. He disliked all kind of insects, but he had to put aside the small fear he just had by looking at Fire Ant Ascator and save Estelle and everyone else.

"Luna, you're facing Devack, so you need Ancient Fairy Dragon's sister Light End Dragon", Mina gave the card to the girl.

Luna nodded as she took a quick look at Light End Dragon. "I promise we'll get your sister back, Light End Dragon."

"_**And I know we will success with it, Mistress Luna**_", Light End Dragon's spirit replied.

"Akiza, you'll have Moon Dragon Quilla and Supay", Mina handed the said cards to the psychic Duelist. "Just like with Sun Dragon Inti, you can only Synchro summon Moon Dragon Quilla with this Tuner Monster."

Akiza nodded as she took the cards. "Moon Dragon Quilla and Black Rose Dragon seem to be close friends, even though they fought each other last time."

Mina chuckled before she turned to Jack with the last card. "And Jack… Estelle said Orient Dragon is the supporter of Red Dragon Archfiend."

Jack grabbed the card and eyed it for a couple of seconds. "Estelle trusts us so much she's letting us use her cards…" He let out a small sigh. "So we better win so we can give them back to her when she's awake."

"Agreed, Jack", Yusei nodded, adding Estelle's cards in his Deck.

"And now, don't make me grab the frying pan and chase you off to bed", Martha half-threatened the Signers.

"Yes, Martha…", Yusei smiled nervously.

"But…", Luna glanced at Estelle's sleeping form. "What about Estelle?"

"I'll watch over her, so you guys don't have to worry about her", Blister said.

"Good", Luna signed in relief.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yusei had barely slept when Martha stepped inside his room in the early morning and told him it was time to head out and Duel the Dark Signers. The raven-haired man stood up from the bed and pulled on his jacket before leaving the room.

Yusei passed the door to the living room when he made a sharp stop, turning back to the door. He felt he had to check on Estelle first before he and the others would head out to the control units. He opened the door softly and looked inside the living room.

Estelle was still sleeping on the couch. Her glasses and Duel Disk with her Deck were on the coffee table and her bag next to the couch with her black boots.

Yusei walked up soundlessly to the couch and knelt down, watching the woman who held a special place in his heart, but he wasn't fully aware of it yet.

The male Duelist brushed aside Estelle's bangs with a gentle expression. "Estelle… I promise I'll bring back your spirit. We'll all do our best to defeat the Dark Signers with your cards." He squeezed Estelle's hand a little. "I hope you'll then wake up and help us…"

Without thinking, Yusei leant down and placed a gentle kiss on Estelle's forehead. When he moved back, only then he realized what he had done and blushed hard.

"Hurry up already! You need to eat breakfast!" Trudge shouted impatiently before there was a clang sound of something metal hitting someone's head. "Ouch! What was that for, Martha?!"

"For making you stop yelling. You'll wake up the children."

"Oh… Sorry."

Yusei chuckled when he heard the argument as he stood up and headed to the door. He walked out, but cast one last glance at Estelle before closing the door. He met up with the others outside after he had only eaten a toast, seeing there were two Sector patrol vehicles next to his and Jack's Duel Runners. There was barely any sunlight. The dark fog that surrounded the whole Satellite made it feel like it was already night time.

Yusei and Jack walked over to their rides as Trudge helped the twins get into his car and Mina and Akiza sat down in the other car.

Martha and Blister waved the group goodbye as they took off to face the Dark Signers. Martha headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the children in the house as Blister made some coffee. When the cowboy was done, he walked back to the living room and sat down on an armchair next to the couch with Estelle still being unconscious.

Half an hour later, Blister felt the need to go to the bathroom. He left the living room and closed the door without making any noise.

But just as the door closed, Estelle's body started getting enveloped in a gentle crimson light with her glasses, boots and Deck. In less than ten seconds, Estelle and her Deck disappeared, leaving some twinkle powder behind.

Blister sighed in relief after he had finished his business in the bathroom. He opened the door to the living room and looked up to let out a huge gasp of shock.

The couch was empty with only a blanket. Estelle's body was gone with her glasses, boots and Deck!

"Estelle?" Blister looked around, hoping to see the woman was awake and somewhere in the living room, but alas. "Estelle?!" The cowboy rushed to the closest window to look outside, fearing that the Dark Signers took her. "ESTELLE!"

"What's all the shouting about, Blister?" Martha stepped into the living room.

Blister turned to her with a panic expression. "Estelle's just vanished!"

"What?" Martha blinked before her eyes went to the empty couch. "But… How?"


	24. Guardian Angel – Part 1

**Don't get too surprised when I'll write the scene when Ancient Fairy Dragon comes back to Luna in the end of the Duel between her and Devack, because I'm adding a new special ability for the Signer Dragon.**

**The chapter will start in Estelle's point of view.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 24: Guardian Angel – Part 1**

_I suddenly felt warmer than usual and had the urge to wake up. I opened my eyes slowly and gasped when I saw the sky above me. It was dark, but filled with many stars and one certain star that glowed in crimson light._

_I sat up and looked at myself. I was wearing a white strapless summer dress and a white transparent cloth made of silk going around my arms. I was barefoot and the weirdest thing was I had the perfect eyesight without my glasses!_

_I looked down and almost got a heart attack when I saw I was sitting in the middle of the dark universe._ "W-Where am I?"

"**In a realm between the Spirit World and the Signers' dimension, Mistress Estelle**", _a familiar voice spoke up._

_I looked over my shoulder and saw Star Eater flying up to me, letting out a gentle rumble from his throat._

"Star Eater…", _I sighed in relief before I realized something._ "Wait… What happened?"

"**What do you remember, Mistress?**" _Star Eater asked._

"I…", _I closed my eyes to concentrate on my memories._ "I remember the Shadow Duel between Yusei and Roman… Me and Martha helping Taka to get to safety… How I saved Martha before she fell into the purple flames… Bringing her to Trudge before I…" _I stopped talking as I opened my eyes in realization._ "…I fell into the purple flames and felt something rip out of my body…"

"**The dark side of yours has been ripped out of you, leaving the good spirit in your body, Mistress**", _Star Eater explained._ "**Do you feel any difference inside your heart?**"

_I did feel something strange now when I tried to sense the familiar emotions I had been through during my childhood. The pain, the sorrow, the sadness, the anger I used to contain… All of it was gone... And it was a very scary experience._

"H-H-How…?" _my voice shook in fear._

"**The Dark Signers believes that good shall remain good and the bad shall remain bad**", _a new voice said._ "**They do not think there are individuals that can hold both of them and keep them in a balance in their hearts.**"

_I looked up ahead and saw the Crimson Dragon materialize in front of me._ "Crimson Dragon… Did you bring me here?"

"**I did, because you need to train before the final battle shall occur and fulfill the prophecy**", _Crimson Dragon replied._

"The prophecy…? You mean the Dark Signers' prophecy?" _I asked panicky._

"**No, Mistress**", _Star Eater replied._ "**He means the Signers' prophecy. The old, lost prophecy of the Crimson Star Priestess.**"

"**But… Before we start the training…**", _Crimson Dragon spoke._ "**You will need to support the Signers, and the little ones are in need of help right now.**"

"Little ones? You mean Luna and Leo?"

_Two windows appeared in front of me. One of them showed Leo Shadow Dueling Devack by the Monkey control unit and the other one showing Luna with Kuribon in the Spirit World._

"How exactly can I help them? I mean, can I even contact them?"

"**Yes, you can. With the Mark of the Crimson Star**", _Star Eater replied._

"But that's with the Signers. How can I contact Leo?"

_Just then I saw Luna and Kuribon reach a city in the Spirit World, the very same city where those monkey soldiers turned every Duel Spirit into stone tablets._

"When shall I go and help them?"

"**Not yet... I shall send you when the time arrives, but your body will be like a transparent spirit**", _Crimson Dragon replied._

"So all I can do now is sit here and watch everything?"

"**I'm afraid so, Mistress**", _Star Eater said._

"**In the meantime, let us engage in the training**", _Crimson Dragon told me._

"Okay… But I did some practice when my friends and I were staying in Goodwin's mansion."

"**We are aware of it, but this is going to be a special training**", _Crimson Dragon said._ "**A training…with your voice.**"

_I arched an eyebrow._ "My…voice?"

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Yusei and Trudge were watching the Shadow Duel between Leo and Devack. It was at this moment when Leo had Synchro summoned Power Tool Dragon when the raven-haired man heard the ringing tone from his Duel Runner. Yusei rushed quickly to his Runner and answered the call. The monitor revealed a slight pale Blister who had a worried expression.

"Blister? What's wrong?" Yusei asked, having a bad feeling.

"_Yusei, is anyone of you Dueling the Dark Signers right now?_" Blister asked.

"Leo's Dueling Devack in Luna's place at the moment. Why'd you ask?"

"'_Cause you better ask those bastards where they'd taken Estelle's body!_" Blister growled.

"What?!" Yusei exclaimed in shock. "Estelle's gone?!" Trudge looked over his shoulder when he heard the young man shout the last sentence.

"_At first, I thought she was awake because her glasses, boots and Deck are missing, but after I looked everywhere in the living room and even outside, Martha and I could only conclude the Dark Signers took her._"

Yusei held back a growl as he clenched his hand into a fist. "Okay, Blister. Thanks for telling me." He finished the call and ran back to the top of the building where he and Trudge had a perfect view of the Shadow Duel. "Hey, Devack!" The Dark Signer looked up at the Signer with a questioning look. "You had already taken Estelle's spirit! Why'd you decided to take her body as well when Roman said clearly you don't need her?!"

"What?!" Leo exclaimed in shock at the news.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Signer", Devack replied. "We Dark Signers only needed her dark spirit, so you are looking at the wrong person right now."

"Huh? But…", Yusei stuttered. *_Who did kidnap Estelle then?_* He placed his hand on his arm with the Mark of the Dragon.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

_I saw in the window how Yusei looked more worried than usual when they spoke about me. But why?_

"**The Signer harbors special feelings for you, Mistress**", _Star Eater said._

_I blinked in surprise before looking up at my dragon._ "Wait! As in…love? That can't be!"

"**Do no lose the concentration!**" _Crimson Dragon spoke._ "**You must keep practicing!**"

"Okay…"

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

After the adventure in the Spirit World, Luna returned to the real world and took over the Shadow Duel that Leo held for her. The little girl managed to keep Power Tool Dragon on the field while the Earthbound Immortal Cusillu got destroyed due to equal attack points. Not only that, when Devack sacrificed Ancient Fairy Dragon to give Luna 200 more damage and returned the Earthbound Immortal on the field, leaving with only 200 Life Points remaining, Luna used a Trap card to add Ancient Fairy Dragon to her side of the field.

But there was more things coming…

"And now, since I've Special summoned Ancient Fairy Dragon to my side of the field, I can activate her special ability!" Luna announced before pulling out a card from the pocket of her shorts. "I can Special summon Ancient Fairy Dragon's sister to the field! Light End Dragon!"

Ancient Fairy Dragon watched with teary eyes as her white sister appeared next to her on the field.

**Light End Dragon, Level 8: ATK 2600**

"_**Dear sister…**_", Ancient Fairy Dragon said happily.

"_**Hello, Fairy**_", Light End Dragon greeted with a small smile.

"They're beautiful…", Trudge said in awe when he saw the sister dragons.

Yusei smiled gently at the officer, happy to see the sister dragons were reunited.

With a few other tricks, Luna used Power Tool Dragon to lower Earthbound Immortal Cusillu's attack points before she ordered Ancient Fairy Dragon and Light End Dragon to take down the evil shadow together.

The sister dragons emitted an invigorating blast of light together, causing Earthbound Immortal Cusillu to dissolve and dropped Devack's Life Points to zero.

**Leo/Luna: 200**

**Devack: 2100 – 0**

The purple flames that formed the Monkey Nazca Line were disappearing as the twins sighed in relief, but let out a shriek when they saw Devack still standing and walking over to them as his body slowly turned into dust.

"You…", Devack growled. "You think you've won?" Leo tried to shield Luna, even if he was scared. "This isn't over... I won't fall alone! You're coming with me…!"

Just before Devack could grab the twins, a bright light emitted right above them, pushing away the Dark Signer as his full body turned into dust. The twins held each other while shaking in fear, but then they slowly opened their eyes when they felt the light being warm. When they looked up, they let out a huge gasp of surprise. Even Yusei and Trudge's eyes widened when they saw the figure standing in front of the twins.

"Estelle?!"

Indeed. Estelle's transparent spirit glowed in a gentle white light as she stood in front of Leo and Luna. She was wearing the very same summer dress as her real body that was in the realm between the Spirit World and the Signers' dimension.

"E-Estelle…?" Luna's eyes got glassy by tears. "Is that you…?"

Estelle replied with a small smile and a nod. She turned her attention at Yusei who was standing on the building close to the former battleground. She mouthed "Hurry" to him before her spirit slowly disappeared.

"Wait!" Yusei called, but the transparent spirit of Estelle had left the group for now.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

_I felt bad for leaving my friends, but I had no choice. I watched from a window how Luna used Ancient Fairy Dragon to reverse the control unit before Yusei's group left for the next control unit. But I knew things were going to end up differently now when Greiger had become a Dark Signer._

"**Let us take a short break with your voice, Estelle, and start practicing on other necessary skills**", _Crimson Dragon said._

"Like controlling the flames and using them as attacks?"

"**Exactly**", _Star Eater nodded._ "**And how to use a weapon.**"

"Then I suspect it's going to be a lot worse than using my voice for singing…"

_While I kept practicing with my developing skills, I often turned to the window to watch everything happening in the Satellite. I winced when I saw the upcoming scene with Greiger pushing away Crow from the incoming boulder._

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Crow had just won the Shadow Turbo Duel against the possessed Greiger when a huge boulder was falling down towards him. But the real Greiger pushed him and his Duel Runner out of the way and got buried by the boulder.

Yusei and Crow rushed quickly over to the boulder, seeing Greiger laying among the debris with serious injuries.

"Greiger, are you okay?" Yusei asked him.

Greiger struggled to stay awake. "I'm fine…" He turned to Crow. "And Crow… You're safe…"

"Why'd you do that?! Why did you risk your life for me?!" Crow asked.

"Because…", Greiger winced in pain. "…You risked yours so my friends and family could return to their homeland…"

"Greiger…", Crow got teary eyes.

"You must continue to finish the Dark Signers… Stay strong and save your family…"

"You can count on it, Greiger!"

Greiger turned to the Signer. "Yusei…Thank you for helping me see the truth… You freed me of the darkness… That was…gripping my heart…" The muscle man struggled against the pain that washed over his body.

"Of course…", Yusei nodded.

"Yusei… The Signers must stick together…with their Priestess...", Greiger mumbled. "It's the only way…you'll all defeat the darkness…"

A gentle white glow appeared in front of the trio as the transparent spirit of Estelle showed up. Greiger who was now between life and death could barely see the figure, but he could sense a familiar warmth and see an angel-like woman kneel down in front of him. "E-Estelle…?"

Estelle just nodded as she grabbed Greiger's hand and held it between her hands.

Greiger sighed in relief, now very weak. "Thank the Gods… I may be hallucinating, but…I'm happy to see you…before I leave…"

Yusei and Crow remained silent as they watched the duo. Yusei suddenly felt a sting of jealousy when Estelle held Greiger's hand, but held himself back.

Greiger took a deep breath. "I…I never got the chance…to tell you this…" A couple of tears escaped his closed eyes. "…I…I didn't used to believe in…love at first sight… But…after meeting you, Estelle... I…I fell in love with you…"

Yusei, Crow and Estelle's eyes widened at the confession, but Estelle was the one who was most shocked about it.

Greiger's voice dropped by each word as his body slowly turned into dust. "Keep fighting…and find your happiness, Estelle…"

Estelle felt tears collecting in her eyes before she leant closer to Greiger and planted a kiss on his forehead. After the kiss, Greiger's body stopped turning into dust and started glowing in a white light instead. The muscle man turned into shiny powder before it flew up to the sky, revealing a bright falling star among the dark clouds. Greiger's spirit was in a peaceful place, waiting to return to his home.

"Greiger…", Crow mumbled before he wiped off the tears from his eyes.

Estelle rose up on her feet and looked at the sky with a saddened expression. She turned around and jumped off from the debris, walking away from the men.

"Estelle, wait!" Yusei called as he rushed after her. He was about to grab Estelle's arm when his hand went right through the woman's spirit. He gasped in shock as Estelle stopped walking, but didn't turn around.

"Estelle…", Yusei tried again. "W-Where are you…? And why are you like…this? In spirit form?" Crow walked up to the couple, standing next to his foster brother.

Estelle turned around slowly as she looked a bit guilty. "_I can't tell you everything…_"

The boys gasped when they heard Estelle's voice echo inside their heads. "Whoa… What was that just now?" Crow wondered.

"_I can only communicate with you through telepathy_", Estelle replied, never moving her lips. "_All I can say is I am in a safe place… Waiting…_"

"Waiting for what?" Yusei started to act a bit desperately. "Why can't you tell us?!"

Crow made a mental note when he saw how Yusei acted more worried than usual for a girl.

"_I'm sorry, Yusei… I'm already running out of time… I must continue the training…_" Estelle's spirit was slowly disappearing.

"What training?!" Yusei tried to grab Estelle's arm again, but his hand went through her spirit.

"_You should hurry and save Kalin from the darkness, Yusei… I am watching you all…_" Those were the last words Estelle said before she left the boys, returning to the realm where her real body was.

Yusei clenched his fist for a moment before calming down. He knew Estelle was right. He had to go and Duel Kalin, but he also wanted to know where the woman was.

"You're acting strange, bro", Crow spoke up.

Yusei snapped out of his trance before turning to the carrot-head. "Say what?"

"I know you and Jack better than anyone else, and I can tell you that you got a crush on Estelle", Crow grinned slightly.

Yusei blushed a bit. "W-What…? No…"

Crow laughed at the Signer's reaction. "You've never been interested in girls before, Yus, and now one certain woman grabs your attention that happens to be the trump card of defeating the Dark Signers."

"She's…more than that, Crow…", Yusei said, looking away.

"Huh?" Crow looked surprised by that.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

_I sat in the middle of the dark universe, my head facing the…space below me as I cried tears for Greiger. I had never heard any kind of confessions that he had said and it had touched my heart. Boys and men were never interested in me back in my dimension and I had that so-called ex-boyfriend who I didn't had any feelings for, but now… Here was one man, older than me and coming from a different culture that said honestly his feelings to me and told me to find my happiness. It was like a scene in a sad romantic movie._

"**Mistress…**", _Star Eater said sadly._

_I wiped off my tears, collecting myself._ "Sorry… It's just… This was the first time a man confessed to me with true and honest words… Something I never thought would happen to me…"

"**Because you often lost hope that you would find a mate that would accept you for who you are and your difficulties?**" _Crimson Dragon asked._

_I nodded,_ "Yes… I'm scared to get hurt even more… I've been through a lot during my childhood… I don't want to go through the pain again as an adult… Being used and betrayed…"

"**You are loyal, my Mistress**", _Star Eater rumbled happily._ "**If your future mate would dare to hurt your heart… I would gladly rip him apart limb by limb.**"

_The Crimson Dragon remained silent before looking at the Crimson Star. I took the signal to start practicing again with whatever I wanted. I decided to continue training my singing voice for a while._


	25. Guardian Angel – Part 2

**I found a character from the manga named "Let's Dance A Waltz!" by Natsumi Ando who has a very, **_**VERY**_** similar name to Yusei's. That character is called Yusei Sudo. The manga artist only switched the F in Yusei's surname with a S. Not only that, but both Yuseis share the same personality. Isn't this copyright? Plus the manga was drawn years after the 5D's season.**

**I added some references from the Japanese version, like how Kalin did kill a Sector Security guy in the flashback and Sayer did kill Misty's little brother Toby.**

**Oh, and the link to Estelle's dress in the last chapter and this chapter can be found on my profile, but there are some problems with link, so I'll add the address.**

**The chapter starts in normal point of view.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 25: Guardian Angel – Part 2**

Yusei had reached the control unit of the Giant where Kalin waited for him with his dark Duel Runner. They had a slight talk and flashback about the past during the whole Shadow Duel; when Kalin went so far that he killed a Sector Security officer in order to "conquer" the Satellite when Yusei stopped him and "handed" over the now lunatic to the Security. Kalin thought Yusei had made a "deal" with the Security when he saw the raven-haired boy receive a pat on his shoulder by one of the head Sector Securities. That was the night when Kalin marked his word and promised he would make Yusei pay for betraying him.

In the end, with some help by the power of the Crimson Dragon, Yusei managed to Synchro summon Majestic Star Dragon and Sun Dragon Inti, and defeated the dark Kalin and Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu. The real Kalin told Yusei he was sorry and asked the Signer to defeat the Dark Signers.

When Kalin's body had turned into dust and disappeared, Yusei cried out loud with tears running down his cheeks. He was so angry at the Dark Signers and made a promise that he would make them pay for taking his precious friends.

Yusei wiped off his tears when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist and a soft body pressing against his back. He glanced down to see a pair of transparent bare arms which made him realize it was Estelle. Her spirit had come back to comfort him.

Estelle rested her head against Yusei's shoulder blades before she pressed a small kiss on his right cheek. "_Kalin's spirit is at peace, Yusei. But he _will_ return when you defeat all the Dark Signers._" Yusei gasped when he heard the information.

Estelle placed another kiss on his cheek. "_Be aware and never lose hope. You are the team's guiding star, the one who connects everyone to the group._"

"What-", Yusei was about to ask what Estelle meant when he felt her body move back. He turned around to see Estelle's spirit smile at him before disappearing.

Yusei felt a bit better and went inside the control unit. He did what he came to do and rushed out of the unit before it sunk into the earth.

"Yusei!" Leo called from a bridge not too far where he, Luna, Crow and Trudge were standing. "That was awesome!"

"I'm so proud of you!" Luna waved to the older Signer.

"Now come on up here!" Leo shouted.

Yusei returned to his Duel Runner and drove up to the bridge to join the group.

"Nice job, man!" Crow smirked proudly. "So… Heya… Is that _your_ doing?" He pointed at a white light coming from a place at the Satellite that was half-covered by grey mist, the sun showing signs it was slowly heading down to the horizon. "That light appeared as soon as you won the Duel."

"Could it be Estelle?" Leo wondered.

"Maybe…", Yusei mumbled.

When the group took a closer look, they found out it was the people of the Satellite that had been sacrificed to the Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu.

"Check it out, guys!" Leo said.

"Who are they? Where'd they come from?" Trudge wondered.

"Maybe it's…", Crow mumbled before he figured it out. "Of course! By defeating Kalin's Earthbound Immortal, you freed all the people that were prison inside of it!"

"So then… There's hope for the others, right?" Leo asked Luna.

"Yeah!" the little girl nodded.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

"**The Signer has finished his first part of his duty**", _Crimson Dragon said._

"**But now comes the difficult part for him, my Lord**", _Star Eater added._ "**This young man might get extremely emotional by the upcoming events.**"

_I glanced up at the two dragons._ "The realization and truth about Yusei's father and when he meets his father's spirit?"

"**Yes… If everything goes right**", _Star Eater nodded._

_That made me arch an eyebrow._ "What do you mean? Something else will happen?"

"**All we can do now is to observe, Estelle**", _Crimson Dragon told me._

_I sank down on my knees, slightly exhausted from all the training I had and from watching the Shadow Duel between Yusei and Kalin. I knew Yusei would be fine, but this world was so real that the characters could look like professional cosplayers on photos you saw on the Internet._

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Roman had sent a message through Trudge and told Yusei to go meet him by the original Ener-D Reactor. There was a slight hesitation, but Yusei and the others drove to the giant crater of the old reactor.

"No way! It's too scary!" Leo shrieked when the group saw how deep the crater was.

"Well, this is it", Crow commented.

"Yeah", Yusei nodded. "You're with me?"

"Set the wheels off, buddy!" Crow replied determinedly.

The group found a stable stairway and walked down into the crater. Yusei went first with the twins following him, Trudge walking behind them, and Crow being the last one in the lead. But when Crow was about to follow the group, he heard weak noises coming from a cliff. So he abandoned his friends and left to check out the source of the noise.

Yusei's group didn't even notice that Crow wasn't with them until they suddenly heard a dark feminine giggle echo around them.

"What was that?" Trudge looked around in alert.

"Did you just giggle, Luna?" Leo asked his sister.

"Of course I didn't, Leo!" Luna glared at her twin-brother. "Why would I want to giggle in a situation like this?"

"Well…", Leo didn't find any words to counter back with.

Yusei turned around to see if the twins, Trudge and Crow were still with him. Only then he noticed Crow was missing.

"Where's Crow?" the Signer asked.

Trudge looked over his shoulder, surprised to not see the Blackwing Duelist behind him. "I've no idea!"

The dark giggle echoed around the group again. "Oh, don't mind him, darlings. That is not your biggest concern right now."

Yusei looked around to find the girl or woman who was speaking. "Who are you?! Stop hiding and show yourself!"

"How about this, Mister Fudo Jr?" a dark shadow appeared in front of the group, surprising them.

Yusei couldn't see the whole appearance of the figure in front of him, but he could tell it was a young woman dressed in some kind of strange outfit and had some kind of bone wings attached on her back. But what really surprised him was how that woman's voice sounded similar to Estelle's.

"Let's play tag!" the woman said before running off ahead.

"Wait! Come back here!" Yusei rushed after the woman.

"Yusei, wait!" Leo called, running after the older Signer with Luna.

"What's going on?" Trudge wondered as he followed the group.

The woman reached to a bridge that was made of boards and rope and rushed to the middle of it. Yusei stayed at the edge of the bridge, surveying the shadowed woman.

"Who are you? Why do you sound so similar to Estelle?" the Signer asked.

The woman chuckled darkly. "How oblivious you are, Fudo. Have you already forgotten about the prophecy?"

"Prophecy?" Yusei mumbled as the twins and Trudge joined him. "Wait! I remember now!"

"So you do have a higher memory capacity than any other human being, aside my counterpart", the woman spoke with a deep voice as her eyes glowed purple. "Then I let you figure it out on your own who I really am."

"Enough", Roman's voice spoke up from the other side of the bridge.

Yusei and his friends gaped when they saw the Dark Signer step up to the other side of the bridge.

"You've done your part with the taunting, Purple Light. Now, go and await your moment to spread the darkness", Roman ordered.

"As you wish, Roman", Purple Light replied before disappearing in a purple light.

Yusei and the other shielded their eyes from the sudden bright light until it died down. The raven-haired man growled at Roman as soon as his eyes stopped stinging by the light. "You…!"

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

_I watched the whole Shadow Duel with fast-pounding heart, and my organ almost burst out of my chest when I saw Yusei falling down into that endless darkness after he had defeated Roman. But I was surprised that the window didn't show me Yusei's encounter with his father._

"Why can't I see more?" _I asked worriedly._

"**My power cannot reach the Signer's Mark for an unknown reason**", _Crimson Dragon replied._

_I frowned,_ "Och han ska vara en gud med oändlig makt. (And he's supposed to be a God with boundless power.)"

"**Watch out, Mistress**", _Star Eater warned me._ "**You do not wish to witness the wrath of Lord Crimson Dragon.**"

_I grimaced, but held myself back. Maybe it was wiser not to argue with the Crimson Dragon._

_The window showing the twins, Trudge and Crow closed and a new one opened next to me. That window showed me the Shadow Turbo Duel between Jack and Carly._

_I could tell there was some kind of connection between those two, but I didn't know if it_ _was going to end like in the English or Japanese version._

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Jack had won the Shadow Turbo Duel against Carly with Majestic Red Dragon and Orient Dragon and brought back the real girl, but she was soon going to disappear.

The Signer was holding Carly close to him, trying to wake her up to share a few last words. Jack could feel his heart arch painfully. It hurt even more than the day when he had betrayed Yusei, Rally and the others to go to New Domino City to accept Goodwin's offer to become the King of Games two years ago.

"Carly! Just hang in there, you hear me?!" Jack said worriedly.

Carly stirred before opening her weak eyes. "Yes, Jack… I hear you…"

"You're gonna make it through this", the Signer assured the girl.

"I know, Jack… I will… But not here…"

"Now don't say that! Look, I saved these for you."

Jack brought out Carly's broken glasses from the inner pocket of his riding suit and placed them on the young woman's face.

"Thanks, Jack…", Carly smiled weakly. "But I don't want you to worry about me… Even though the Netherworld is calling for me, I'll be all right… I'm not scared… And you shouldn't be either… We'll be together again someday…"

"You're right…", Jack nodded. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to bring you back. I'll never give up hope and I'll never stop fighting for you, Carly!" He remembered the last words he had heard Estelle shout out to him and the others before her spirit got taken by the shadows.

"I know, Jack…", Carly replied. "That's why you're my number one. Now then, I'm afraid it's time I get going…"

With the last strength in her body, Carly sat up and embraced Jack, placing her chin on his shoulder. The blonde man didn't hesitate to hug the young woman he had grown to like more than a friend.

"Goodbye, Jack…", Carly whispered as her body turned dark grey before turning into dust.

Carly's glasses fell down to the ground, not following with its owner. Jack tried to grab onto Carly, even though she was gone. He felt an anger burning inside him, but that anger turned soon into determination.

"Carly…", the Signer said in a low voice as he stood up looking at the sky. "I'll never forget everything you've done for me."

"_And I won't forget you, Jack…_", Carly's happy voice whispered as the remaining dust of her floated up to the sky. "_You see? I told you I'll be fine._"

Jack picked up Carly's glasses and looked at them for a minute before closing his eyes and nodded to himself. "I promise I'll bring you back once it's over, Carly!"

"_That's good to hear, but it will cost a slight price_", a familiar voice spoke up behind the man.

Jack nearly jumped, but collected himself and turned around to see Estelle's transparent form.

"E-Estelle…?" the Signer asked with widen eyes.

"_All the Dark Signers will return alive, but they will have no memories of the time when they were Dark Signers_", Estelle explained without moving her lips.

Jack gasped, "No memories? Then that means Carly-"

"_...Will not remember this moment you just had with her_", Estelle said with a sad expression. "_She really holds you close, Jack. Not because of whom you used to be, but who you are today. If you will feel the same for her after this adventure as you do now…_" Her transparent spirit started slowly fading away. "_…Never let go of her._"

"Wait! What do you mean?!" Jack asked.

"_You should find it out on your own, Jack…_", Estelle replied before she vanished completely.

Jack stood there, completely stunned by Estelle's words. Once he recovered, he looked down at Carly's glasses in his hand, taking one last glance before he placed them back in his riding suit and headed into the control unit.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

"I hope my words reached Jack's heart…", _I mumbled._ "I could clearly see the connection between him and Carly when I saw then together for the first time."

"**When the woman made him dress in a disguise for a day? That was kind of hilarious**", _Star Eater chuckled._

_I turned to my dragon with a surprised look._ "I didn't know you had a sense of humor, Star Eater."

"**There is a lot you do not know about me, Mistress**", _Star Eater retorted._

_I chuckled nervously, thinking it was better if I held myself back for a little while._

"**There is no time left**", _Crimson Dragon warned._ "**I am afraid I cannot send you to the last Shadow Duel, little one.**"

"What?!" _I exclaimed._ "But Akiza is going to need my help! Sayer will show up and take control of her!"

"**Calm down!**" _Crimson Dragon's voice thundered, making me flinch in fear and stop rambling._ "**Since the final battle will soon take place, you must save your energy, so you cannot engage.**" _I grew silent._ "**However… You can try contacting Akiza through telepathy when she gets under control by Sayer. If you can break through the wall, it will show that man how powerful the connections between the Signers are.**"

"Then I'll try that!" _I said determinedly._ "I won't let Sayer take over Akiza and use her as a puppet again!"

"**Good**", _Crimson Dragon nodded._ "**Close your eyes and focus to send your words through your Mark.**"

_I closed my eyes and intertwined my hands in praying. I concentrated my words to my Star Mark and tried contacting Akiza._

"Akiza… Akiza… Aki…"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a dark universe. I was still in the white dress as in the realm before. Neither Star Eater nor Crimson Dragon was with me, but I could sense two to three presences._

"Hello!" _I called as I walked forward, surveying the universe._ "Is anyone here?"

_I heard a deep male chuckle echo around me before I looked up to see a sight that made my heart skip a beat in pure fear._

_Akiza was locked inside a cage of glass, sitting in the middle while curled into a ball. Her face was hidden by her front bangs that were released from the hairpin._

_The glass cage mirrored the figure of Sayer who now had a huge scar on the right side of his face. He had a maniac expression as he looked so proud of himself._

"Soon, little Akiza, soon", _Sayer smirked._ "We'll rebuild the Arcadia Movement and we'll take over the world… Together!"

"Akiza!" _I shouted as I rushed over to the cage._

_Akiza didn't even hear me as I banged on the glass cage. No matter how hard I banged the cage, the glass wouldn't break._

"It's useless, Estelle", _Sayer's voice echoed around me._ "Akiza's under my control. No one can break through my hold on her. She's Black Rose once again!" _His creepy laugh made me feel shivers go down my spine._

"Aki! Can you hear me?!" _I shouted._ "Listen to my voice!"

_The Signer didn't even show any signs of movement. She just remained sitting on the floor, hiding like a little child._

_I was starting to panic. What could I do to save her? I knew I had to get her attention by hearing my voice, but how?_

*_Ska jag sjunga _den_ sången? Men… Är det okej? Den ska sparas till finalen…(Shall I sing _that_ song? __But… Is it okay? It shall be saved to the finale…)_*

"**Priestess!**"

_Black Rose Dragon appeared behind me, looking very close to cry. She also looked like she was in deep pain._

"Black Rose Dragon…?" _I mumbled._

"**Save Akiza! She has been in pain for a long time and it's affecting me as well! When you entered her life, she became her real self… She could finally be happy! Please do whatever it takes to save her!**"

"Shut up, dragon!" _Sayer's reflection appeared on every side of the glass cage._ "Akiza's under _my_ control! No one can break through the seal I have put around her! You can't save her!" _His reflection disappeared, but his laugh remained in the shadows._

_I made up my mind about the way I was going to save Akiza. I placed a hand on the glass cage, focusing my eyes on Akiza._

"Aki… If you can hear me… Then listen very closely to this song…", _I told her. _"It will save you from this wretched cage and you'll get free from the control Sayer has on you."

_I removed my hand from the glass cage and cleared my throat, imagining the music playing around me._

**(AN: "Towagatari~Hikari no Uta~" belongs to Nana Mizuki)**

"_Terase yo el ragna_

_Urei zenbu_"

_Akiza was slowly looking up, her eyes being slight dullen due to Sayer's control._

"_Kururi kururi to_

_Lulala lila_"

"Estelle…?" _the Signer mumbled._

"_Kanashimi yorokobi doukoku sae mo_

_Gin no kawa kara mireba_"

"What's this?!" _Sayer's reflection appeared on the glass cage._ "Stop this nonsense!"

"_Subete wa ittoki no yume hanabi_"

_I was slowly reaching out my hand to the glass cage. As soon as my fingertips touched the smooth surface, the glass shattered into million pieces. Sayer's reflection was still onto the pieces of glass as they flew around. He cried out in anger, but I ignored him as I advanced to Akiza._

"_Tada kami no me no mabataki ni_

_Kiete kaeran_"

"Y-You came…", _Akiza's voice shook in slight fear as her eyes slowly returned into normal._

_I nodded as I kept singing, never missing a single note as I reached out my hand to her._

"_Hibike… Hibike Ima arubeki sugata e_"

"**Return to me, Akiza…**", _Black Rose Dragon told her mistress._ "**Come back and be the girl you have always been deep inside.**"

"_Awaku… Awaku Kako no denshou aru ga mama_"

"Y-Yes…", _Akiza nodded as she reached out her hand to me._ "Please… Save me, Estelle…"

"_Towa no inoran_"

_When our hands touched each other, our Marks began glowing and the dark universe was lightened up by a gentle crimson ray. I smiled at Akiza who returned the smile as I picked up the hairpin and curled back her long front bangs._

_The Signer smiled thankfully before she jumped into my arms, embracing me while sobbing. I returned the hug, but I had to let go because I could feel the Crimson Dragon calling for me._

"I'm sorry, Akiza, but I must go", _I told her._

"But…", _Akiza said in slight sadness._

_I smiled gently._ "But soon… I'll come back…to the finale."

"Finale?"

"Aki… You must defeat Misty before sundown or the King of the Netherworld will raise to the surface. And ignore Sayer. He'll be soon taken care of."

_Akiza looked confused, but nodded. I smiled again and patted her shoulder before feeling the Crimson Dragon pulling me back to the realm where he and Star Eater were waiting for me._

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

The real Akiza let out a huge gasp when she snapped out of Sayer's control, her Mark glowing in a comfortable light. She actually woke up from the trance just as she heard Sayer's voice coming from Misty's Duel Disk, revealing that it was the former leader of the Arcadia Movement who had killed Misty's little brother Toby.

The female Signer let out a small sigh of relief, happy to hear she didn't kill someone as Misty first thought. But it wasn't the same relief for the model.

Misty felt a huge anger boil inside her, so she sent her Earthbound Immortal Ccarayhua to attack Sayer. The giant lizard grabbed Sayer by its long tongue and literally devoured him.

Akiza was slight in shock when she had seen the man who had looked after her for a long time being eaten. "He… He got eaten…" The Signer blinked before getting an angry expression. "Serves him right! After everything he's done to all the innocent people!" She knelt down and picked up the hairpin and curled back her front bangs before brushing her hair back into place.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The real Misty had begged Akiza to defeat her before the Earthbound Immortal took over her. With Akiza back to normal, she won against Misty with her splendid combos.

When Misty turned into dust, she apologized to the Signer and hoped they could be friends someday. Akiza was close to tears, but nodded before the model disappeared. But Misty left behind her locket with the photo of her and Toby, a memory for Akiza to keep.

But just then, everyone realized the sun had gone down for the day!

"We're too late!" Trudge growled. "The sun's setting and the last tower hasn't been sealed!"

"At least all the people that were absorbed by that Earthbound Immortal have been returned, right?" Mina wondered.

All of the sudden, the earth started shaking in an earthquake.

"What's happening?! Why's the earth shaking?!" Yusei asked.

Only a few seconds later, a pillar of light rose up to the sky.

"Look over there!" Trudge pointed at the light pillar.

"It's coming from New Domino City!" Mina gasped.

Once the light pillar died down, it revealed a new Nazca Line. Or in correction; the Condor Nazca Line.

"Another Dark Signer?!" Yusei exclaimed in shock. "But who could it be?"

"I don't know, Yusei", Akiza replied. "But I have a feeling we're about to find out…in the finale."

"The finale?" Leo questioned.

Akiza nodded, "I… When Sayer took control of me, Estelle appeared in my mind and saved me from Sayer's hold by singing a song…"

"A song?" Luna blinked.

"It sounded like Japanese, but…", Akiza blushed lightly, placing a hand on her heart. "Estelle's voice was like an angel's…"

Yusei arched an eyebrow at Akiza's reaction. Why did she suddenly act like she had feeling for the brunette? Or was it just his imagination?

"Yusei!"

The group turned around to see Jack and Crow approach them on their Duel Runners.

"It's Jack and Crow", Yusei mumbled.

"Yeah, and from the looks of it, we're right on time", Jack said.

Crow eyed the oldest female Signer. "So you're Akiza, huh? Guessing that you won your Duel." He turned his head to the direction of New Domino City. "So what's up with the lightshow?"

The earth started rumbling again. Trudge assumed it was an earthquake, but Yusei rejected the idea when he saw light coming from the crater of the old Ener-D Reactor.

"Now what?" Jack wondered.

"Hey, I know that area!" Crow exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm afraid I know that too", Yusei cold sweated. "That spot… It's where the first Ener-D Reactor was. And I have a hunch the portal to the Netherworld is now open for business."

The group gasped in shock when they saw a fountain of sludge spurt up from the B.A.D. Area and created a gigantic monster in the shape of a dragon with wings on its back and red glowing eyes. It was the King of the Netherworld.

The King of the Netherworld was crawling to the direction of New Domino City.

"Whatever that thing is… It looks like it's heading towards the city!" Luna's voice shook as she held hands with Leo, sharing the fear she had with her brother.

Crow turned to Yusei. "Yusei, Roman said if we failed to seal the four towers in time, then the King of the Netherworld would appear!"

"I know", Yusei replied. "And I'm guessing that's him!"

"As an officer of the law, it is my duty to arrest that thing!" Trudge butted in. "But, unfortunately at this present moment, I am off to it."

"Hold on! Nothing bad has happened just yet!" Mina retorted. "Maybe if we don't bug it, it won't bug us."

"Yeah, maybe so…", Leo said unsurely.

Luna suddenly felt pain coming from her Mark which made her grab her arm. In the next second, the spirit of Kuribon appeared next to her, looking scared while telling Luna what it knew about the King of the Netherworld.

"Uh-oh… Kuribon's saying that if that creature makes it to that Condor Mark, a lot of bad things are gonna happen!" Luna informed the group.

"What kind of bad things?" Yusei demanded.

The King of the Netherworld had now reached the docks of the Satellite and crawled into the water.

"All the very bad kind…", Luna replied with a shaking voice.

"Okay… Uh… So we gotta stop it! The only question is how?!" Leo panicked.

For once, Yusei had hoped he had the answer, but no. He wished Estelle was with them and could tell them what to do. Yusei felt his right arm with the Mark of the Dragon getting warm and looked down to see it glow along Akiza, Luna and Jack's Marks.

The dark clouds above them started scattering to reveal a crimson light with the familiar presence of the mighty beast.

"It's the Crimson Dragon!" Jack exclaimed.

The Crimson Dragon turned to the group and sent a white light at them, teleporting the group to the final battleground.


	26. The Final Battle

**The finale is now coming, ladies and gentlemen! And it's gonna be full with action and some sad parts, so prepare the tissues. And there will be a "kinda" epilogue for this Arc.**

**I will use scenes from the awesome animes named "Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS" from Episode 24 and "Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryuu no Rondo", mostly from Episode 11, and redo them to fit the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's universe. I thank you again, Pimsan, who introduced me to the Cross Ange anime. :)**

**Plus, don't forget the links on my profile to check out Estelle's outfits in this chapter.**

**Oh, and for those who wonder if I will continue with the WRGP Arc… The answer is yes! But I won't reveal anything yet, so you'll have to wait for a bit because I'll be adding bonus chapters after this one. ;)**

**Chapter starts in normal point of view.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 26: The Final Battle**

The group with Signers and non-Signers plus the three Duel Runners ended up at the island where Goodwin's mansion was located, except the mansion was gone and replaced by the Stairway to the Dragon Star that had been underground. The condor symbol was shining above the temple with the sky being completely dark with an uneasy atmosphere. Not even the moon or the stars shone in the night sky. It was a sign that the darkness was coming.

"Where on Earth did he take us?" Jack wondered before looking up. "Isn't that the temple that was underneath Goodwin's mansion?"

"So this is where that condor was coming from", Akiza said.

"Wait… So then the King of the Netherworld isn't here, but what for?" Leo questioned.

"I don't know", Yusei replied.

"In that case, allow me to explain", Goodwin's voice echoed from the top of the temple.

Everyone glanced up to see said man stand on the top with the female figure called Purple Light who was sitting on the stairs below Goodwin, both her arms and legs crossed as her face was being hidden by the cloth that was on her head.

"For you see, you may have succeeded in defeating the Dark Signers, but not in time to close the doors to the Netherworld", Goodwin added.

"Director?" Mina mumbled in surprise.

"Goodwin…", Jack growled.

"So tell us what's going on!" Yusei demanded. "Did we fail? Is the world gonna end? And why is that thing heading here?!"

Purple Light chuckled in amusement. "Still so oblivious, Mister Fudo Jr."

"For the ritual!" Goodwin replied.

"What? What ritual?!" Yusei shouted.

Goodwin and the female figure glanced to the direction of the Satellite where they could see the shadowy figure of the King of the Netherworld slowly approach New Domino City.

"The ritual that has been carried out by this temple for many millennia", Goodwin said.

"Okay, so what exactly happens to this ritual?" Yusei asked.

"So full of questions", Purple Light commented. "It's like never-ending."

"It all depends, but this time it's something that's never happened before", Goodwin replied.

"So spill!" Yusei demanded.

"Better tell them before Fudo Jr explodes by all the questions, Goodwin", Purple Light suggested.

"Indeed, my dear", Goodwin smiled at the woman before turning his attention at Yusei's group. "So eager, but for you to fully understand, I would need to start from the very beginning."

In the next second, Goodwin held up a canister that contained Roman's arm with the Head Mark of the Dragon, also revealing his metal arm at the same time. The Mark was glowing, sending a painful energy to the four other Signers making them groan in pain while their Marks were glowing.

"It all starts with this!" Goodwin gestured at the canister.

"It's the final Mark", Yusei grunted. "But what do you want with it?!"

"I want to use it! Why do you think I have that metal arm of mine?" Goodwin asked.

Purple Light stood up, placing a hand on her hip. "I prefer we cut the speech and start the action, Goodwin."

"You're right, Purple Light", Goodwin agreed and placed the canister on a tablet next to him.

"Just what are you planning, Goodwin?!" Yusei shouted.

Goodwin chuckled and turned his back to Yusei's group before a purple mark started glowing through his jacket, revealing the Condor Mark.

The group was stunned by shock! They never expected Goodwin to be a Dark Signer.

"Another Mark?! But wait… That one-", Yusei started.

"That's right. It is of a Dark Signer's!" Goodwin finished just as his jacket and shirt were ripped apart by the force of energy flowing through his body that gave him muscles. Even his hair grew longer as purple stripes appeared all over his body.

"Meaning that soon I will have both the power of the light and the darkness!" Goodwin shouted as his eyes turned black.

"Oh, no!" Leo exclaimed in fear.

"He can't!" Akiza added.

"You won't!" Jack growled.

"And just who's going to stop me?" Goodwin removed the lock of the canister.

"No one, Goodwin", Purple Light smirked, having an amused expression as she looked down at Yusei's group.

Goodwin crushed his metal arm and removed the few pieces that were attached on his arm before he literally put on Roman's arm, making him the new bearer of the Head Mark of the Dragon.

"What are you planning to do with the Mark?!" Yusei demanded.

"What else? To become all powerful and rule the world!" Goodwin replied. "And now with my Dark Signer and the power my brother entrusted to me, I shall!"

The man raised up his new arm to the sky, making the Mark of the Dragon shine. The Stairway to the Dragon Star was suddenly digging itself out, raising up to the sky.

"Everyone, take cover!" Jack told the group.

"No, we have to leave the island now!" Yusei shouted.

"Let's dash!" Crow shouted.

The three Turbo Duelists rushed to their Duel Runners with the rest of the group following them. Yusei let Akiza sit behind him as Mina got to sit on Jack's lap. Trudge and the twins managed to squeeze themselves onto Crow's Duel Runner before the group could dash away from the island.

Goodwin laughed with his own evil voice as Purple Light stepped up to him, standing next to the man with her arms crossed. The temple was so large that it destroyed the island and covered a big part of the lake.

Luckily, Yusei's group made it to safety. They all watched the scene before them, the three Turbo Duelists still sitting on their rides. The rest of the group had jumped off and stood next to the Duel Runners.

"Behold the birth of my reign to come!" Goodwin exclaimed. "But first, let us have an entertainment with Purple Light and her magical power of the shadows!"

Purple Light smiled evilly before she threw off the cloth on her head revealing herself completely.

Yusei and the others gasped and widened their eyes in pure shock. Next to Goodwin stood…

"Estelle?!"

"Estelle" chuckled at the group's reaction. "No. I'm not exactly the same Estelle you know. I am her dark side."

"Estelle's…dark side?" Luna mumbled in fear.

"Already forgotten the prophecy?" Dark Estelle snorted in amusement. "I am supposed to meet my good side, but she's not here. I did hear her body disappeared shortly after you set off to Duel the Dark Signers. I wonder where she could be."

"Listen! You gotta stop Goodwin! I know the good Estelle would do that!" Yusei shouted.

"And what if she doesn't want to stop Goodwin?" Dark Estelle retorted. "What if she wants to use the overflowing power to hurt and destroy those who had made her into the person she is today?"

Yusei was surprised to hear that. Did Estelle want to take revenge? "What do you mean?!"

Dark Estelle's bone wings suddenly turned into a pair of wings with black feathers before she flew up to the air. Black feathers were floating down when she flapped her wings. She flew down to the group, but still kept a distance from them.

"_This_ is what I mean", Dark Estelle reached out her hand.

In the next second, Dark Estelle and Yusei's group were teleported to a universe that reflected memories of Estelle's past. It was memories from the early years to the adult age.

Yusei and the others looked around, seeing how the little Estelle got bullied by other children in school and at the playground near home. They could hear little Estelle's crying echo around them and see the bullies treating her like dirt. They saw how lonely Estelle was when she sat alone in her room with her books, having cuddly toys settled around her, a big one resting on her lap. A few memories showed the time when Estelle did have a few friends, but they left shortly because they didn't want to spend time with a childish girl for her age.

The memories moved on to the time when Estelle transferred to the school that had the special class for children with neurological disorders. The memories showed how Estelle seemed to feel better without any bullying, but still had to go through the other children's frustrations, outburst and childish behaviors. Estelle was still showing signs how scared she was for every sudden outburst and didn't even get the right education because the teachers had to focus on the other children and their problems.

The memories moved to the middle school with its special class which Estelle had been looking forward to so she could get the education she needed, but her hopes crumbled down when it turned out the school was worse than the last one. The teachers didn't even care for the students and left them alone to work on their own. Estelle had to retake a year to get the rightful education for the seventh grade, but things got far worse when new students came that were very disturbing.

The memories flowed next to the time when Estelle was homeschooled by her mother and father. Estelle cried often when she and her mother had long and sensitive conversations and there were a few times when Estelle had grabbed a knife to try committing suicide.

Leo and Luna let out small gasps when they saw Estelle holding a knife, but sighed in relief when the memory Estelle never hurt herself.

The group was teleported back to the final stage, not a single second had passed during their time in Estelle's memories.

Yusei's group was stunned to have witnessed Estelle's past. They had heard bits of Estelle's past when she had told them, but they never thought the bullying and loneliness had been this extreme and that she had been once and twice so depressed she wanted to kill herself.

Dark Estelle flew back up to the middle of the temple with her arms crossed. "Do you see now?" Everyone except Goodwin turned their attention at her. "I want to take revenge at those who hurt me and put me in depression for so long." She got a madness expression as her anger began to grow. "I want to rip their limbs apart! Torture them until they beg for mercy and I _still_ won't stop until all their blood has been spilled!"

"This is crazy…", Crow mumbled. "I never thought the Estelle you told me about was mad."

"She's not!" the twins shouted simultaneously at the Blackwing Duelist.

"Or at least not from what we know", Leo added. That earned him a slap on his cheek by Luna.

"Oh, how little you know about the real Estelle", Dark Estelle mocked. "And you're supposed to be her friends when you haven't asked for more details about her past after she had helped you?" Her purple eyes shone deviously.

In the next second, many shadowy creatures appeared around her. They were all in shape of different dragons corrupted by the darkness. All their eyes shone purple as their bodies was covered by shadows.

"Uh-oh…", Crow cold sweated.

"What's she planning to do?" Trudge wondered.

Both Mina and Akiza were worried about the outturn of the event. Leo and Luna hugged each other, both of them shaking in fear.

"I've got a really bad feeling about this…", Jack mumbled.

Yusei felt the sweat run down his face. "Don't tell me she's gonna-"

"I'm going to start my quest for revenge by torturing you, Signers. Dragons, attack!" Dark Estelle pointed at the group.

The dragon creatures roared before diving towards Yusei's group. Leo and Luna screamed in fear as Trudge held Mina close to him. The male Duelists were frozen, not being able to think. However, Akiza was acting faster than the light. She activated her Duel Disk and placed two cards on the disk.

"Black Rose Dragon! Moon Dragon Quilla!"

The two Duel Monsters appeared above the group before they flew towards the herd of shadow dragons. Black Rose Dragon sent a tornado of petals at the dragons, sending back a few of them. Moon Dragon Quilla's four heads opened their mouths to collect energy of the moon and sent beams at the shadow dragons.

"Akiza?!" Yusei turned to said girl.

"We have to attack the dragons if we want to survive!" Akiza shouted. "Call out your Duel Monsters and counter back!"

"Let's do it!" Jack activated the Duel Disk on his Duel Runner. "Come out, Red Dragon Archfiend, Exploder Dragonwing, Orient Dragon!"

The three dragons materialized before joining forces with Akiza's dragons.

"I guess we have no other choice", Yusei activated his Duel Disk as well. "Stardust Dragon, Sun Dragon Inti, help us out!"

The two dragons roared in agreement when they got materialized and flew to the battle.

Luna activated her Duel Disk and placed down two cards. "Ancient Fairy Dragon, Light End Dragon, we need your help!"

The sister dragons appeared together and joined their friends on the battlefield.

"I know I don't exactly have a dragon, but I'll still send Blackwing Armor Master to kick some serious butt!" Crow shouted as he threw his Synchro Monster card on his Duel Disk on the Duel Runner.

"I'm not a Signer, but I won't back down when my sister and friends need help! Come out, Power Tool Dragon!" Leo threw his Synchro Monster card on his Duel Disk.

Power Tool Dragon and Blackwing Armor Master appeared next to each other and shot ahead to the battleground.

The Signers and non-Signers' Synchro Monsters fought hard against the army of shadow dragons. Things seemed to go well at the beginning while Crow started talking about the legendary man who built the Daedalus Bridge in the Satellite, but then Yusei's group heard Goodwin chuckle.

"There's no such thing as can't miss", Goodwin told Crow. "Not for you. And not for the so-called legendary man you've modeled your life after. Believe me, I know."

"What are you talking about?!" Crow shouted in anger.

"Hold on, are you saying what I think you're saying?!" Yusei gasped in realization. "That you're-"

"Him?!" Jack finished, also shocked by the truth.

"The one who built the bridge from Satellite?!" Crow gaped in shock.

"Yes, I am the one who tried to build that bridge from Satellite", Goodwin confessed. "I thought I too couldn't miss, but I was wrong. And now I know that if you really want something, you must do whatever it's necessary to get it!"

"Not if that means hurting people! And that's why we're gonna stop you right here and right now!" Crow shouted determinedly.

Goodwin just chuckled in amusement before he lifted his left arm with the Mark of the Dragon making it glow brighter. The other Signers' Marks glowed for a second before they vanished, only to appear on Goodwin's chest revealing the full Dragon Seal.

Goodwin laughed so loud and evilly it sent shivers down everyone's spines. "You see, I'll stop at nothing from ruling it all together with the Princess of Darkness!"

Dark Estelle joined Goodwin's evil laughter and started laughing like Dark Kalin. "This is going to be so joyous!"

The Signers watched their Duel Monsters taking down one shadow dragon after another, but every time a shadow dragon got taken down, two new dragons would appear.

**(AN: "Towagatari~Kaze no Uta~" belongs to Yui Horie)**

"_Hoshi ni toban el ragna_"

"This is never-ending! How long can we keep doing this?!" Trudge asked, still holding Mina close to his chest.

"_Banri wo koete kanata e_"

"We must find a way to stop those dragons from keeping popping up out of nowhere!" Crow said.

Just then, the shadow dragons suddenly stopped attacking the Signers and non-Signers' Synchro Monsters and flew up to the sky.

"_Hoshi ni yukan el ragna_"

"Hey, what's going on?" Leo wondered. "Why're they leaving?"

Luna hushed him. "Listen…"

Everyone heard the singing voice, including Dark Estelle and Goodwin.

"_Setsuna… Eikyuu wo_"

"Who's singing?" Mina wondered.

Dark Estelle growled, knowing who it could be.

"_Nagare nagare itsukushimu_"

"I know that voice…", Akiza mumbled which everyone in Yusei's group heard.

"_Mata seishi no yurikago de yawaku_"

A portal appeared in the sky where the shadow dragons circled around as a female body lowered herself, dressed in a red outfit and had a pair of red wings on her back with blue eyes and her chocolate brown hair. The outfit consisted of a wine-red/red top with long sleeves that revealed slight of Estelle's bust, a wine-red skirt that reached to the middle of her thighs, wine-red stockings that reached to above her knees and a pair of red boots. Behind her followed Star Eater, his wings spread out.

"_Awadatsu_"

"The second part of the Dark Signers' prophecy is now coming true!" Goodwin announced in a loud voice when he recognized the figure.

"_Aa… Sen no toki no Rinne no tabi_"

"It's… It's…", Mina stuttered as she felt ears collecting in her eyes by happiness.

"Estelle…", Yusei mumbled, his heart beating in relief.

"I hope she's the real one, 'cause the evil Estelle is way too creepy", Crow commented.

"_Tsunagi au Te to te sagashi motome_"

"Yeah, but what's with that song?" Jack wondered.

"_Kokoro kawashi Ibuku kaze yo_

_Arata na sekai wo tobe_"

Good Estelle's body got enveloped in a crimson light before she braced herself and sent a warm light. The shadow dragons around her allowed the light swallow them as their true forms were revealed.

The shadow dragons were actually dragon Duel Monsters. That included Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Ancient Dragon, Mirror Force Dragon, Doom Virus Dragon, Cyber Dragon, Rainbow Dragon, Victory Dragon, Gandora the Dragon of Destruction and many other dragon-related Duel Monsters.

"Wow…", Leo and Luna mumbled after they had seen what Good Estelle just did.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

My Synchro dragons joined me as the other Synchro Monsters remained close to their masters as soon I had released the dragons from their prison of being corrupted by the darkness.

I glanced down at my friends and gave them a small smile. I turned my attention at my dark twin, seeing her glaring at me with her purple eyes.

"So, you've come…", she mumbled.

"Yes…", I retorted before turning to Goodwin.

"Estelle, how lovely to see you could join us", the man chuckled. "I see you've managed to create your own army of dragons."

I heard the dragons growl behind me when they heard Goodwin's voice.

"You stole them from me!" Dark Estelle shouted angrily.

"No, I _saved_ them from the darkness you used to corrupt them", I replied.

Goodwin picked up a card from his pocket. "Then I suggest we start this war on the highest level!" He held up the card as it started glowing purple. "Come forth, Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca!"

The heart-looking seed appeared once again high up in the air, absorbing the residents of New Domino City to let the final Earthbound Immortal wake up from its sleep. The seed blasted in a bright light before the giant condor Earthbound Immortal spread its wings and revealed itself to us.

Wiraqocha Rasca let out a cry before I sensed something coming from the King of the Netherworld. I turned around and looked through the army of dragons to see the giant sludge creature release spits of its body, forming into condors that headed towards us.

"Dragons!" I called.

I didn't need to say more words because the Duel Monsters flew towards the herd of condors and started taking them down. Only my Synchro dragons and my friends' Synchro Monsters remained with us.

"Fool! There won't be enough time!" Goodwin shouted. "Soon the King of the Netherworld will reach us and the world will be destroyed!"

I growled through my teeth before I reached my right hand to my left wing and pulled out a feather. When I lowered my hand, the feather transformed into a katana, the weapon I had been trained for.

"It starts between us, my other self!" I shouted before flying towards Dark Estelle.

Dark Estelle glared before she summoned a black staff with the tip having the shape of a crescent moon. "Gladly!"

We flew around as we shot small energy spheres towards each other, mine being red while Dark Estelle's were purple. We avoided all of them before we clashed our weapons. We glared at each other before we flew back and kept doing the same thing for quite a while.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Yusei's group was stunned to say the least. They never imagined they would witness a combat battle this intense.

"Damn! That's one catfight!" Crow commented.

"I just hope Estelle will be fine…", Luna whimpered.

"She'll be fine, Luna!" Leo assured her. "I mean, look! She's like a samurai with that sword!"

"Don't forget the last part of the prophecy, guys", Akiza cold sweated. "If one of the Estelles dies…"

"…The other one will follow the same destiny…", Yusei finished.

"So they can only keep on fighting forever until they get exhausted without making any death-like injuries?" Trudge asked.

"It's a never-ending circle!" Mina shouted.

The four non-Signers had been saved from being offered to the new Earthbound Immortal thanks to the Signers.

"And meanwhile the world will be doomed!" Jack cold sweated. "We must do something!"

"Yeah, but what?!" Leo asked.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

Dark Estelle had enough with the playing around and used her staff to send an energy beam at me. I easily avoided the beam and flew around it as I headed to my dark twin. I raised my sword, ready to hurt Dark Estelle when I remembered she was my other self. If I hurt her, I would get hurt as well.

I let the katana clash with Dark Estelle's staff, causing sparks fly around us when the steel made contact. Dark Estelle fought against my strength, but then I felt her arms growing weak. I took the opportunity to throw aside her arms and kick her stomach, sending her back. I suddenly felt pain in my abdomen realizing I was feeling the pain from my other self.

Dark Estelle adjusted her wings before she made her staff disappear in a cloud of purple dust. I arched an eyebrow at the sight, but then felt my eyes widen when I heard her sing the Endless Song.

**(AN: "Towagatari~El Ragna~" belongs to Nana Mizuki &amp; Yui Horie)**

"**Kaze ni yukan el ragna Todorokishi tsubasa**"

Dark Estelle's body got enveloped in a purple light as one big energy circle appeared on each of her enlarged wings slowly collecting energy.

I grunted through my teeth, but calmed myself down before I closed my eyes to sing along.

"_Hajimari no hikari Kirali… kirali_

_Owari no hikari Lulala lila_"

I felt my right arm with the Star Mark release warmth as it glowed through the sleeve of my top. Energy was flowing through me and spread to my wings.

"_Kaesan el ragna_

_Suna dokei wo_

_Toki wa afuren_

_Lulala lila_"

I could sense the energy collect in front of my wings after they had spread out, ready to unleash a similar attack as Dark Estelle was about to do.

"_Iku oku amata no Inochi no honoo_

_Sururi Ochite wa hoshi ni_"

I knew everyone was looking at us like we were about to truly kill ourselves, or should I say kill _myself_? No, that was not the plan.

"_**Nagare nagarete utsukushiku**_

_**Mata sei to shi no yurikago de**_

_**Yawaku**_"

Now both I and my dark self were singing together before we unleashed our power. The energy circles from our wings released tornados, mine being crimson while Dark Estelle's were purple.

"_**Awadatsu**_"

The tornados clashed as they fought against each other before there was an explosion, including a bright light that swallowed me and Dark Estelle. I closed my eyes to shield them from the light.

Everything turned quiet in the blast. Was I dead…? No, I could still sense my body and felt myself breath.

I slowly opened my eyes to see I was inside a sphere that looked like the cosmos. My dark self flew in front of me. For some reason, she had a very upset expression.

"Why?! Why did you have to come back?!" Dark Estelle shouted angrily.

It was then I noticed Dark Estelle was crying. Tears ran down her cheeks as she held back her sobs by biting her lower lip.

"My other self… Are you crying?" I asked softly, not knowing that my friends and Goodwin could hear us outside of the sphere.

"Yes, I'm crying!" Dark Estelle snarled with her tears still running. "Is it a problem with crying?! Am I not allowed to express my anger?! Why do I have to hold everything back and behave?! Why?!"

Something snapped in my brain. All those questions my dark self asked me… Her facial expression… I realized what it was.

Dark Estelle was acting like all the thoughts I had whenever I was upset.

"Could it be…you're deep inside frustrated that you can't express in the way you want to?" I asked.

"Yes!" Dark Estelle retorted, now releasing her sobs. "I… No… _You_ always had to hold yourself back to not cause a scene…especially after the time you got bullied… Day in and day out, you had to suffer by the other children…and that made you scared of being rejected again once you grew up. You're afraid of being alone which you have been for a long time… Even now…when you arrived to this dimension, you're scared of being rejected by your current friends… You're afraid that they're with you just because of the Mark of the Dragon…" She tried to stop her tears, but they kept coming. "Deep inside, you want to take revenge on those people who had hurt you the most in your first school. But… Because of your goody-side I can't fulfill your deepest wishes! I can't hurt the people who made me suffer! This is so pathetic! I am the one who's pathetic! I am nothing but a loser! A weakling! What is it that's so special about me?! _NOTHING_!"

Oh, dear… Those were truly the same thoughts I had always been carrying ever since I got the experience of being bullied that had cost all my self-confidence… Of being alone for such a long time to only feel a deep, empty void.

"That is true…", I admitted with teary eyes. "For a long time I have been feeling very weak and afraid to find new friends to then be betrayed and be left behind… But I can't live on with all those thoughts. I have to move on in order to fully live. If I just remain in the past, how will I be able to look forward?" My own tears were running down my cheeks. "But not everything has been as negative as you believe." That caught my dark self's attention. "I've got the experience of being bullied which the bullies probably never got… If they were one day going to get bullied and thrown aside, they wouldn't know how to deal with it. It is true I rarely had any friends, so I grew up all alone with my parents. But I do prefer to be alone, even though I often felt the need to be with others. And I do have hidden talents which I discovered with the help of my mother, like music and many other small things that doesn't seem to be something big, but it was big to me." I knew I was going to look stupid, but I let a smile grow onto my lips while I was still crying. "I grew to love myself in order to trust others who can accept me for who I am. I grew stronger without noticing it myself."

Dark Estelle was a bit stunned by my speech, but she was still crying.

I flapped my wings before I slowly approached my dark self who got scared and flew back a bit. "No living being is perfect. Not even God who I don't believe in." I spread open my arms to hug Dark Estelle. "But… A person will be more…perfect if he or she can accept both her sides." Dark Estelle was shaking in fear as I embraced her close to me. "So… Let me accept you and return to me, my other self. Let us become one again."

"No… No…", Dark Estelle struggled against my embrace as a light started glowing from both of us. "NOO!"

The white light swallowed us as I felt my other self join me. The energy flew around me as I felt complete once again.

I slowly opened my eyes, feeling them burn a little by the power of the Crimson Dragon. Goodwin had a shocking expression; his eyes widen and mouth open.

"I-Impossible!" he stuttered. "This was _not_ the part of the prophecy!"

"Not part of the _Dark Signers_' prophecy", I corrected him, hearing I had a slight deeper tone in my voice. "But the real Signers' prophecy."

"**In the time of distress and chaos, with the power of the Endless Song,**

**the two spirits of the Crimson Star Priestess shall reunite and become one once again.**

**With the power of the Crimson Dragon, the darkness shall retire to the Netherworld,**

**and the true Signers shall regain their Marks of the Dragon.**"

"No… No! I won't allow that to happen!" Goodwin snarled. "I am a God! You can't take my powers from me!"

"You honestly believe so?" I arched an eyebrow with a smirk on my lips.

I let my new regained powers take over as the energy blasted up to the sky as a light pillar. My wings surrounded me as my clothes changed into the rightful armor.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Yusei's group watched the bright pillar of light as they shielded their eyes. The Synchro Monsters were flying above them, ready to protect the group if necessary. Once the light died down, the humans looked up to see Estelle in a new outfit.

Estelle had changed into a red top that only covered her bust along with a wine-red armor decorated with red dots that went around her body above her abdomen and reached up to both her shoulders. She had a small collar going around her neck. Her arms were almost covered by red gloves that included wine-red scales on the lower part of the arms. The skirt had transformed into very short shorts that was red and had a small decoration on the right side, but the belt part was wine-red. The stockings had been slight ripped at the edge and the boots had changed into longer boots with heels and looking more royalty with the decoration.

Yusei gasped when he recognized the outfit. It was the same he had seen Estelle wearing in his nightmare after he had his first encounter with Kalin and his Earthbound Immortal.

Estelle opened her eyes slowly, showing how they were now red, signaling that the transformation was complete.

Goodwin had grown slight pale, actually fearing for the change of situation. "H-How… How were you able to stop your dark self?!"

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

"By _accepting_ my other self", I replied as I reached my hands to my wings, pulling out two feathers. "There is no such thing called _perfect being_. Not even a God is a perfect being. Those who are not able to accept their true sides are ignorant. They are the weak ones." I lowered my arms as the feathers turned into swords. "But…" I swung my right hand up with the sword. "…Those who _can_ accept both their sides, good and bad…" I swung my left hand up with the other sword before swirling around and then got into a pose, pointing the swords towards Goodwin. "…are stronger and braver than they can imagine. That includes my friends and the Signers."

I turned around when I heard the Duel Monsters cry in pain. The King of the Netherworld who had now reached the docks of New Domino City had sent a powerful beam of fire at them, destroying the dragons, as the beam kept heading towards me. The Synchro dragons flew out of the way, knowing they didn't have the strength to stop the attack.

I held up my swords, crossing them and shielded myself against the fire. The flames flew past me as they collided with the swords. Once the beam had passed, I lowered my swords as my Synchro dragons and my friends' Signer Dragons flew around me.

"Go."

My Synchro dragons flew towards the King of the Netherworld before they transformed into lines of light. The line of Sun Dragon Inti coiled itself around King of the Netherworld's left arm while Moon Dragon Quilla's line of light wrapped itself around the right arm. Orient Dragon chained the evil creature by its right leg and Light End Dragon took the left leg. Star Eater became a collar that got wrapped around the neck of the King of the Netherworld, partly strangling and partly paralyzing the creature.

The four Signer Dragons roared before they started attacking the King of the Netherworld. Power Tool Dragon and Blackwing Armor Master joined the dragons and gave the evil creature what it deserved.

I turned back to Goodwin who was furious which the Earthbound Immortal showed by snarling at me.

"So you may have stopped the King of the Netherworld from reaching the temple, but Wiraqocha Rasca will release him from the prison!" Goodwin yelled.

"First he has to go through me", I emphasized by holding up my swords.

"As you wish! Wiraqocha Rasca, kill Estelle!" Goodwin ordered.

The Earthbound Immortal shrieked before spreading its wings and flew towards me. I let the powers of my Mark protect me by wrapping my body with a red aura. Then I could go and attack Wiraqocha Rasca.

I flew towards the Earthbound Immortal as I slashed off his feathers while I flew faster than lighting around him. Soon I combined the two swords into a claymore, the blade shining like magma. I lifted up the claymore as it grew longer, almost as long as the Stairway to the Dragon Star, and threw it down at Wiraqocha Rasca. The blade slashed through the shadow creature as it shrieked in pain before disappearing in a purple cloud of dust, releasing the people who had been offered for the summoning.

Goodwin looked very pale as I floated only a few meters from him, the claymore returning to its original length. I glanced at him with emotionless eyes and lowered the view to the full Mark of the Crimson Dragon.

"You say you are controlling the light and the darkness, but I can sense the hesitation, Goodwin", I spoke up.

"What?!" Goodwin gasped.

"You're still thinking about Roman and the bond you two are sharing", I continued. "A bond that is stronger than any power in the universe-"

"Be silent!" Goodwin retorted.

"Even now Roman is watching over you, disappointed how far you went when he asked you to fight for the right thing", I continued. "And deep inside your heart…" I pointed towards his chest. "…You knew you wanted to keep the promise. That's why you started building the bridge, letting it become a sign of hope. Hope that you'll accomplish the task you were given to."

"That's just nonsense!" Goodwin cold sweated, showing signs he was losing.

"Is it?" I asked.

Goodwin blinked confusedly before he saw the spirit of the good Roman. The spirit shook his head, disappointed that his brother had gone in the wrong direction.

I could clearly see how Goodwin missed his brother and was surprised to see Roman looking sad about the situation.

"I believe it's time we finish this", I said.

"_**I agree, Crimson Star Priestess**_", Crimson Dragon's voice echoed around me.

Crimson Dragon appeared among us, swirling his body around the ancient temple. He let out a roar before the full Mark of the Crimson Dragon disappeared from Goodwin's chest.

"NO! I was the chosen one! I was the one with both the power of the light and the darkness!" Goodwin yelled.

I turned to Yusei's group, seeing how the Signers regained their Marks, except Yusei got now the Head Mark and Crow was blessed with the Tail Mark.

"With the power of the Crimson Dragon…", I chanted as I flew up fast, flapping my wings. "…And with the light of the stars…" Once I was several kilometers from the ground, I reached out my hand to create a small crimson orb. "…I summon the strength of the light!" I felt my back burn as Crimson Dragon's full Mark appeared on my body.

At the same time, the orb of light grew larger so I had to shift my hand up above my head as it collected the light of the stars. I felt Star Eater joining me after he released himself off the King of the Netherworld to use the "befriending" spell.

"Gather, light of the stars!" I chanted again. "Show Goodwin what true bond and power is with full strength! Starlight…" I slowly lowered my hand, pointing the giant orb of light at the King of the Netherworld before hitting it with the claymore. "BREAKER!"

The orb crackled for a second before it unleased all its power at the evil creature. The King of the Netherworld sent a new beam at my attack, but Starlight Breaker pushed it back as it approached the sludge creature.

The Synchro Monsters, including mine, flew quickly away from the King of the Netherworld to protect Yusei's group. They used their bodies and wings as shields to endure the light and the power of my spell.

The spell hit the King of the Netherworld as it roared loudly in pain before there was an explosion. The light expanded and swallowed the whole city as the evil creature was destroyed. The light even swallowed me, but I didn't try to fly away, knowing it wouldn't do any harm.


	27. After The Final Battle

**Thank you for the reviews, guys! The truth is I was afraid if I had messed up with the last chapter, so I'm happy to see you all enjoyed it.**

**Now the next few chapters will be calmer and less action, but kinda necessary to show Estelle during the time between the Dark Signer Arc and WRGP Arc. There might be a Halloween chapter, but definitely a Christmas chapter.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 27: After The Final Battle**

_I opened my eyes to see I was floating in a cosmos all alone. I wasn't scared because I knew what was going to happen next. I took a glance at myself seeing I was dressed in the white summer dress once again._

_I turned to the right to see Devack, Kalin, Misty and Carly laying unconscious. Greiger wasn't among with them, because I had sent his spirit to the Spirit World to let him rest there because he could return to his homeland now when the final battle was over._

_I looked up to come face to face with Goodwin. He looked just the same before he became a Dark Signer._

"Goodwin…", _I mumbled._

_Goodwin looked to his right as the spirit of Roman appeared next to him._

"Roman…", _I added._

"Hello, Brother…", _Goodwin said with a small smile._ "I'm so happy to see you again. It feels as if it's been an eternity."

"Indeed", _Roman smiled._

_The two brothers turned to me still wearing their smiles._

"You were right, Estelle", _Goodwin confessed._ "Deep down inside, I was still honoring my brother's memory."

_I smiled warmly at the Goodwin brothers before a question appeared in my mind._ "Are we…in the Heaven?"

"In a way", _Goodwin replied._ "This is a place of peace between light and darkness and it's all thanks to you. The bonds we formed are really all that matters in life." _He was quiet for a second._ "Estelle... Take care of them." _He turned to the unconscious Dark Signers._ "Their place is back on Earth." _He turned to Roman._ "Now, if you excuse us, my brother Roman and I…have some catching up to do."

_Roman nodded before a light appeared behind them._ "But before that…" _He turned to me._ "May you sing the Endless Song for us, Priestess?"

_I nodded, still having a small smile while tears collected in my eyes._

**(AN: "Towagatari~Hikari no Uta~" belongs to Nana Mizuki)**

"_Hajimari no hikari Kirali… kirali_

_Owari no hikari Lulala lila_"

_The Goodwin brothers stood there watching me as I kept singing, never missing a tone._

"_Kaesan el ragna_

_Suna dokei wo_

_Toki wa afuren_

_Lulala lila_"

_I couldn't help but sway my hips as I got into the rhythm of the music._

"_Iku oku amata no Inochi no honoo_

_Sururi Ochite wa hoshi ni_

_Nagare nagarete utsukushiku_

_Mata sei to shi no yurikago de_

_Yawaku awadatsu_"

_The light behind the brothers grew brighter as I made it to the chorus._

"_Utae… Utae Ima futatsu no negai wa_

_Tsuyoku… Tsuyoku Ten no konjiki to kirameku_

_Towa wo kataran_"

_During the last part of the chorus, Goodwin and Roman walked into the light behind them after they both had bowed to me._

"May the Crimson Dragon watch over you and the Signers, Crimson Star Priestess", _the brothers said simultaneously as they entered the light._

_The light spread over to me and the former Dark Signers, sending us back to New Domino City._

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

The light of the Starlight Breaker spell spread through the city before the bright light died down, making the Synchro Monsters that protected Yusei's group fly up roaring in victory as the Nazca Line of the Condor disappeared along with the Stairway to the Dragon Star in the evening moonlight.

When the humans looked up, the air around New Domino City was filled with powder of light that restored all the damage that had been caused by the Dark Signers.

"W-We're safe…!" Mina let out a huge sigh in relief.

"Yeah, and check it out!" Akiza smiled widely.

"Everything's going back to normal!" Trudge stated.

"Amazing!" Akiza agreed. "It's like Estelle's Starlight Breaker is reversing all the damage the King of the Netherworld did!"

"Oh, it's so pretty!" Luna said about the light powder that kept coming down like the rain.

The group looked up to see Star Eater flying around with a body laying on his back, knowing it was Estelle. The twins waved to them, but Yusei frowned when he saw Estelle wasn't showing any signs of movement. Crow noticed it too.

"Hey… Why's not Estelle waving back or showing any signs that she's okay?" the Blackwing Duelist asked.

"Yeah, you've got a point, Crow", Jack agreed.

Star Eater flew down to the group among the Synchro Monsters. He lowered himself to the ground, showing the group an unconscious Estelle in her normal clothes with her glasses. Yusei quickly jumped off his Duel Runner and rushed over to the dragon. Star Eater turned slightly to let Estelle's body fall down into Yusei's arms.

The group surrounded the raven-haired Signer to see if Estelle was okay. When they saw Estelle showed signs that she was alive they all let out sighs of relief.

"Finally all the tension is gone!" Leo cheered joyfully. "And we beat the Dark Signers, _and_ defeated the King of the Netherworld!"

"By "we", you mean Estelle, right?" Luna said.

Leo growled lightly. "No, I mean, we all stopped that sludge monster from destroying our world!"

"But Estelle did the main job, kiddo", Trudge smirked.

"Yeah, but we were her…side-kicks! Yeah, we were the side-kicks!" Leo tried to convince the others that they did a great job.

The group laughed heart-fully at the rambling boy as the Duel Monsters roared in the air simultaneously. After that, the Crimson Dragon appeared above the group of humans while the Synchro Monsters dissipated.

"The Crimson Dragon?" Akiza mumbled confusedly.

"What does it want this time?" Crow asked, placing a hand on his arm with his Mark.

The Crimson Dragon sent a white beam at the group, teleporting them to Martha's house.

"What the…?!" Crow exclaimed.

"We're…back at Martha's place", Trudge said.

"But why did the Crimson Dragon send us back here?" Mina questioned.

Just then the door to Martha's house opened to reveal said woman.

"Martha!" Jack exclaimed with a smile.

Martha stepped up to the group, having a smile of relief. "I'm so glad to see all of you safe…" She glanced at Estelle who was still sleeping. "Boy, I got so worried when Blister told me Estelle had disappeared, but from the looks of it… I'd say we'll save the talk 'til later when she's awake, and you all must have quite an adventure during the whole day."

"Yeah…", Leo said before yawning loudly.

"Gross, Leo! Cover your mouth if you're gonna yawn!" Luna scolded him.

"Sorry…", Leo mumbled, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Speaking of adventure, I'd better head back to my hideout and check my nest…", Crow turned around, but only to trip on a pebble and fall face down on the ground.

"Crow?!" everyone exclaimed.

In the next second, the group heard snores coming from the orange-haired boy making them sweat drop.

"Seriously, Crow?" Jack muttered as he picked up his youngest foster brother bridal style. "You fall face down and then fall asleep without telling us if you're okay or not which is your habit…"

Akiza giggled, "Well, be glad he fell asleep now and not during the ride to his hideout."

"Point taken", Jack replied.

"Guys, let's go inside and rest for tonight", Yusei reminded the group. "Besides, I think it'd be best if you check Estelle, Martha. In case she has wounds or something…"

Martha nodded, "I got it. Everyone, come inside and I'll show you to the rooms where you can rest for the night."

Mina covered her mouth as she yawned. "I've been working in shifts and am used to have a couple of sleepless nights, but this time I must sleep…"

"I'll just report to Sector Security about our whereabouts before I hit the bed…", Trudge said before yawning loudly.

The group followed Martha into the house where they met Blister who had been really worried about Estelle. He then relaxed when he saw the young woman was okay.

Martha gave Jack instructions so he could lead the group to the bedrooms before she and Yusei walked into the infirmary. Yusei placed down Estelle on the bed, but kept her upper body up so Martha could take off her red jacket. Once it was done, Yusei lowered the young woman on the bed and Martha started examining her.

The young man remained in the background, his back turned to the women in case Martha had to reveal Estelle's skin close to her private area. He was often about to fall asleep, but he kept himself awake. He had to hear if Estelle was truly okay.

Yusei fished up the Spell card Estelle had given him before he had gone to the Satellite; A Feather of the Phoenix. She had never asked him to give it back to her, so he was going to ask her once she woke up.

Martha cleared her throat, catching Yusei's attention. "Estelle seems to be fine physically, but I don't know about mentally…"

Yusei stood up from the chair and gave Martha a small smile. "Thank you, Martha… And I'm sure she'll be fine."

Martha smirked lightly, but held herself back. "Well then… You better go to bed too, young man. Staying awake for more than twenty-four hours is not good for the health."

Yusei chuckled at his foster mother's threat, but smiled and walked out of the room, but not without glancing at Estelle one last time before Martha pushed him out.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I felt myself getting out of the sleep and stretched myself while purring like a cat. I rubbed my heavy eyelids before I opened them to meet with the sight of a light brown ceiling and the smell of medicine and other chemicals.

I sat up and looked around, everything being blurry because I wasn't wearing my glasses. I found them, my jacket and the Duel Monsters cards I had lend out to my friends on a chair next to the bed I was laying on and put the glasses on my nose. Now when I got my vision back, I recognized the infirmary room. I was in Martha's house.

The whole house was quiet. No sounds of children running around or people talking. I stood up from the bed and put on my jacket before walking over to a window. The sky was dark with a big moon, but few hints of sunlight were showing up in the horizon telling me it was early morning.

But then the Crimson Dragon appeared outside flying in front of the window. I blinked in confusion. Did he want something?

The Crimson Dragon gestured with his head to point at his back. He wanted to take me somewhere.

I turned around to look for a piece of paper and pencil which I found and quickly wrote a note in case someone would take a peek into the room and find out I was gone. Once I finished writing the note, I placed it on the embedding bed and stepped back to the window opening it soundlessly.

The Crimson Dragon swung his body close to the window so I could climb on. As soon as I was settled, the mighty dragon flew off heading to the direction where Crow's hideout was.

But what I didn't know was the Crimson Dragon sent a small signal to a certain Signer.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV**

I woke up by feeling my arm with the Mark pulsing. I sat up and lifted up my arm to see the Mark was not only pulsing but also glowing. Was the Crimson Dragon sending a signal to me?

I looked at the alarm on the nightstand and saw it was barely 6 AM. Guess I could take a walk or something now when I was awake.

I made a quick visit in the bathroom and put on my jacket and gloves. I walked down the stairs without making noises when I reached the infirmary. I felt the need to check Estelle and see if she was okay.

I didn't know why, but I somehow felt a connection to her. Was it because of our Marks or…something deeper? I was a bit confused. I had never been interested in girls when I was younger, but… The first encounter with Estelle had triggered something in my heart I never felt before. Not even Akiza made me feel the way I felt for the brunette.

I remembered what Dark Estelle had shouted when she and Estelle had been inside that sphere after they had unleashed those strange tornados. Estelle was scared of being rejected and alone. She was afraid that none of us had truly accepted her for who she was and thought we were friends only because of our Marks, but she was wrong.

I opened the door to the infirmary and stepped in…only to see an empty bed. I felt my heart skip a beat in fear before I spotted a piece of paper on the covering. I walked over to the bed and picked up the note.

_To the one who found the note,_

_don't worry about me. I'm outside, taking a walk. I'll be back shortly._

_/Estelle_

I let out a sigh of relief, knowing she didn't get kidnapped. But… Where did she head off to?

I glanced down at my arm, seeing the Mark was glowing through the sleeve of my jacket. Was it a sign to show me where Estelle went to?

Without thinking twice, I rushed out of the house to my Duel Runner. To be quiet, I rolled my ride several meters so the engine wouldn't wake up the others. Once I was in a good distance, I sat down on the Runner and drove off.

The Mark glowed stronger as I headed towards the B.A.D. Area. That was where Crow's hideout was, but also the bridge that Goodwin had started building years ago. Could Estelle be there?

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

The Crimson Dragon took me to Crow's hideout, letting me off at the edge of the unfinished bridge. I looked at him with big eyes wondering why he took me out here.

"Crimson Dragon…", I started.

"_**I am proud of you, Crimson Star Priestess**_", Crimson Dragon said with a happy tone. "_**You accomplished your first task in the quest.**_"

I arched an eyebrow. "Quest? What do you mean?"

Crimson Dragon chuckled, "_**Only time will tell, my little one. However, I am happy to see you finally and truly accepted your other self… Your dark side. You have been struggling for a long time to accept the fact that you have your hidden side, have you not?**_"

I looked down in slight shame. "Yeah… A part of me always felt so angry at the past I went through, especially the part when I wanted to take revenge at the children who hurt me badly. And now, when I arrived to this dimension and met Yusei and the others… I was afraid they would sooner or later reject me because I'm so different in many ways." I closed my eyes before reopening them and looked up at the dragon with determination. "But I won't be afraid anymore. Because I know and I can feel the connection we share through the Marks." I grabbed my right arm and put on a small smile. "They have all accepted me and they won't leave me alone, even if I wanted to."

"_**That is what the bond called friendship is about**_", Crimson Dragon replied. "_**You have been without it for so long that it was first a foreign feeling, but you are getting used to it now.**_"

I nodded before a thought appeared in my mind. "Didn't you tell me you took my Deck when you teleported me to that realm where I was trained to use my powers properly and the art of a sword master?" I heard the engine of a Duel Runner approach several meters behind me.

"_**I am glad you asked.**_"

In the next second, the spirits of my Duel Monsters appeared around the mighty dragon along the cards I had in my pocket. All of them were smiling, at least those Monsters that had a mouth, and partly glowing.

"_**We were happy to serve you, Mistress**_", Light End Dragon said. "_**But I'm afraid most of us have to return to the Spirit World including myself.**_"

"I understand. You want to restore the peace and rebuild your realm", I concluded.

"_**Hai, and so will I**_", Orient Dragon said.

Chaos-End Master flew down to me and held my right hand. "_**I was happy to serve you as my mistress, but Lord Crimson Dragon has given me and the others other duties we must attend to.**_" He looked over my shoulder and smirked for a second before kissing my hand, making me blush hard. The Tuner Monster released my hand before flying up with the smirk remaining on his lips,

"But… What will happen to my Deck?" I asked.

"_**It will become more specific and advanced**_", Crimson Dragon said as most of the Duel Monsters disappeared, but those who remained transformed back into cards including the celestial Synchro dragons. "_**It will become a Deck suitable for you. An honorable dragon Deck.**_" New cards appeared as they floated around me in a circle. I held out my hands together and let the cards float down in a small pile. "_**Treat your partners with the same kindness and love that you shared with your last companions, dear one.**_"

I quickly went through my new Deck, seeing old and new cards, including Spell and Trap cards. "I promise, Crimson Dragon."

"_**Good. Now, I am afraid I must leave and you should return to your current shelter…with the man you harbor feelings for.**_"

I blushed when I heard the Crimson Dragon encourage me to try forming a relationship with Yusei. The dragon let out a roar that only I could hear before he disappeared, letting the view of the sea and the morning sun reach my eyes.

I heard soft footsteps approach me so I turned around and felt my heart beat faster when I saw it was Yusei. Had he heard the Crimson Dragon's last words?

"Yusei…", I mumbled lowly.

"Estelle…", the man walked up to me. "How… How did you end up all the way here?"

"The Crimson Dragon brought me here", I replied. "Didn't you see him?"

"I did, but I couldn't hear what you talked about", Yusei said. "What happened? I saw all the Duel Monsters spirits smiling at you before they disappeared." For a moment, I could swear I saw a jealous expression on his face, but he hid it very well.

I looked down at my new Deck, gripping it a bit tighter. "Most of my Duel Monsters had to go back to the Spirit World to restore it, but new ones have joined me."

"I see…"

We remained quiet as we avoided eye contact. My heart beat faster by Yusei's presence. I guess I could now confirm that I did have romantic feelings for him.

"We better head back to Martha's before she sends Jack and Crow to look for us", Yusei spoke, rubbing the back of his head.

"Agreed…", I nodded with a small smile before I put my new Deck in the pocket of my jacket.

We walked down the bridge and to the ground where Yusei's Duel Runner was waiting. Strangely, the children that lived at Crow's hideout didn't wake up by the engine when Yusei had arrived.

Yusei sat down first and put on his helmet as I just stood next to him, not knowing if I should sit down behind him. There was barely space for two people.

The Signer looked up at me with confusing eyes. "Aren't you coming?"

I shifted slightly on my feet. "Is it…really okay that I sit with you? It doesn't look like there's enough space for two…"

Yusei put on the smile I liked. "Don't worry. Just sit behind me and wrap your arms around my waist."

I nodded hesitantly before I climbed on behind Yusei. I leant a bit closer to him and wrapped my arms around him as he said. He started the engine of the Duel Runner, letting it come alive.

I blinked in surprise when I felt the Duel Runner wasn't vibrating like the normal motorcycles in my dimension. I couldn't stand feeling vibrations go through my body, but this Duel Runner was completely quiet.

"Ready?" Yusei asked me.

"Ready", I replied, leaning my cheek against his back.

Yusei chuckled nervously before he took off, driving through Crow's hideout and onto the streets of the Satellite. The wind ruffled my hair as I closed my eyes to enjoy the moment with Yusei.

I knew I was going to enjoy the rest of the time here in this dimension with Yusei and everyone. And I was looking forward to the rest of the adventure that was waiting, even though I had a feeling it would be tougher than with the Dark Signers.

**Alright, guys. From now on, this story is categorized as romance. So prepare yourselves to see more shipping with Estelle and Yusei in the future.**

**You might wonder why I didn't make them a couple yet. Well, that's because I'm a realist. In real life, relationship takes a long time to truly form. I don't like those who make their OCs or canon characters fall quickly in love and become a couple. That's not my style. I'll take it slow and steady, just like how real-life relationship works.**


	28. The Celebration of the Daedalus Bridge

**One of the bonus chapters is finally showing up! It's about the completion of the bridge that connects New Domino City and Satellite.**

**Estelle is going to sing two songs from the Eurovision Song Contest 2015, but I won't tell you which ones. You have to scroll down and see for yourselves.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 28: The Celebration of the Daedalus Bridge**

It had gone a month since the adventure with the Dark Signers and how my friends and I stopped the King of the Netherworld… Well, I admit it was mostly me who did the job, but I couldn't have done it without the Signers.

One thing that had changed for me was that I got fired by Leo and Luna's parents a week after the Dark Signer Arc. They actually wanted to fire me earlier when they received words about the lack of my origin in the track records, but because we got involved with the first part of the Yliaster War, we only caught the call and email they had sent a few days after the final battle.

The twins got hysterical when they heard from their parents that I got fired, but I assured them we could still be in touch and see each other as usual. I actually had a feeling long before this that I would get kicked out from the Crier household, so after the news I called Martha and asked if I could stay at her house. In exchange, I would try finding a job and paying half of my staying.

Martha accepted me immediately without the money issue so I packed my bags and flew to the Satellite with Star Eater who carried me all the way. Martha and the children welcomed me with a small party and a strawberry/chocolate cake which was my favorite. I was touched by the welcome committee so in return I sang them the Endless Song.

I got a room on my own that once had belonged to a girl who had moved out when she became 13 years old. Apparently, there was a rule in Martha's household that once the children reached a certain age they had to move out so new orphans could move in. That rule had been the same for Yusei, Jack and Crow when they were teenagers.

Yusei, Jack and Crow had returned to the Satellite to catch up the time they had lost when Jack had been the King of Games. Yusei and Jack moved in with Martha, living in their old rooms while Crow remained in his hideout with the orphans. However, the new Signer had to find a new home for the orphans because it was at that place where the new bridge would get connected to the Satellite.

Yusei was often busy by the bridge to watch it over and help the constructors and answer their questions so he was always tired at the end of the day. But on the weekends, he helped me to teach the rules of Turbo Dueling and drive a Duel Runner.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I was wobbling on a simple motorcycle that was meant to be a Duel Runner. It looked like the simple Duel Runner in the anime Yusei had built for Akiza when she was going to take her Turbo Dueling license. Since it was still summer and a hot August day, I was wearing a red tank top with black stars, shorts and sandals.

I lost my balance and crashed on the concrete, the helmet shielding me from hitting my head. But my arms and legs weren't so lucky.

Yusei rushed over to me and helped me up as I felt the pain from my legs wash through me. "Owowowww…", I groaned.

Jack snorted loudly with his arms crossed. "Give it up already, Estelle! It's obvious you've got problems with the balance."

I glared lightly at him. "I told you before I always had bad balance ever since I was a little girl. Many people with neurological disorders lack balance. I know that because of my own experience with such children, and I own a bicycle at home that has three wheels; one at the front, two at the back."

Once I could stand on my own, Yusei lifted up the Duel Runner from the ground rolling it over to me and Jack. "But are you sure it's just the lack of balance that makes you fail at this?"

"Yes, and because of that, I have this inner fear all the time whenever I used to ride a "normal" bicycle when I was younger", I explained. "Even now, I can't help it… I know it sounds ridiculous, but this is how I work. Everyone has their flaws, and this is one of mine."

"Hey", Yusei said before placing a hand on my shoulder giving it a small squeeze. "It's okay. If you want, I can rebuild this Runner so it will have two wheels at the back. Could that work?"

I looked at him with a surprised look. "You… You'd do that? For me? But aren't you busy with the bridge?"

"We're almost done with the bridge", Yusei replied with a small smile. "They said I could a few days off to relax and join them when the last part is about to connect the Satellite."

I smiled and nodded to him. "Thank you…"

Jack groaned loudly. "I see I'm being ignored here. Fine! Don't let me be the third wheel!" He turned around and walked back to Martha's house.

"Hey!" Yusei and I shouted simultaneously before looking at each other with red cheeks. Then we laughed when we both realized we had yelled together.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I used my powers to heal a wound I had on my right knee that had gotten scratched up by the fall with the Duel Runner. Once the wound was healed, there was only a scar left behind. I sighed through my nose before I fell backwards on my bed looking up at the ceiling.

Decoy Dragon suddenly entered my eyesight and looked down at me with his adorable eyes. He chirped worriedly as he tilted his head to the left. I chuckled lightly and patted his head, letting him cuddle up on my chest.

My powers had become slightly stronger. It was shown by how the smaller Duel Monsters' spirits could materialize into real bodies whenever they wanted to come out from my Deck on their own. Yes, they had the chance to roam around freely, but they never left my side unless I had to send them on a mission to carry a message or something like that.

I caressed Decoy Dragon's back hearing him purr like a cat. I was thinking about how much my life had changed since I had come to this dimension. I was feeling happier here than in my world. Back in my real dimension, I had felt an empty void in my heart not really knowing what it was that I had been missing. But now I had the answer. Friends and more activity that made me feel much better. I used to suffer by insomnia because I rarely went out and got new impressions that I needed.

Not only that had changed, but I felt I was slowly changing from being a very introvert person. I could feel how I opened up slowly and talked more, but I was still a quiet person who liked to be on her own.

I suddenly got an idea and sat up on the bed. Decoy Dragon yelped in surprise before flying up, purring askingly at me. I smiled at him and tapped his beak. "Don't worry, Decoy Dragon. I just got an interesting idea."

The dragon purred before nodding and returned to my Deck that was on the nightstand next to the bed. I stood up and left the room, walking down to the living room where Jack, Yusei and Blister were talking.

I forgot to mention this, but Blister was also living in Martha's house now. He kind of grew to become a babysitter for the children.

"Yusei", I said, getting his attention. "When is the bridge getting done?"

Yusei blinked confusedly before replying. "If there are no distractions, it should be finished in three weeks."

"Okay", I nodded before turning to Jack. "Jack, you still have contact with Mina?"

"Yeah, and?" Jack replied, arching an eyebrow.

I was getting slightly nervous by the idea, but it was a good opportunity to say it. "W-Well… You think you could ask her to then ask Lazar if he could arrange a…tag-team tournament?"

"Tag-team tournament?" Jack questioned.

"A celebration when Duelists from both New Domino City and Satellite can join and Duel together", I explained. "The tournament could be on the finished bridge and it will be a great start to show the residents of New Domino that not everyone in Satellite is as low as they think they are."

The men were all silent until Blister spoke up with a smile. "Hey, I like that idea."

I smiled, happy to hear one person approved my idea. "And not only that… I could…be performing at the opening singing a couple of songs from my dimension."

Yusei and Jack looked at each other, asking with their glances if one of them approved my idea. I was getting sweaty on my palms by nervousness, hoping Jack would say yes. That's why I jumped when I felt Martha place a hand on my shoulder from behind.

"Jack, I think you should call Mina about Estelle's idea", Martha supported me. "It sounds like it could also be an unforgotten day for us all. Especially when Estelle's going to be singing." I blushed by those words.

"I'm in", Yusei said. "Jack?"

The blonde man sighed before standing up from the couch. "Alright, I'll contact Mina then." He was about to walk to the telephone when he glanced at me. "And what's the prize of the tournament?"

"Nothing", I replied simply. "This is an opportunity when people from both cities can relax and enjoy themselves."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I just couldn't believe it. Lazar had approved my idea! He arranged commercials about the tag-team tournament that allowed people from New Domino and Satellite to call a certain number and register themselves. The tournament would also get aired including my performance.

Akiza, Leo, Luna, Mina and Trudge had told us they had registered for the tournament and looked forward to it. From the Satellite, we heard from Rally, Tank, Blitz and Nervin that they had also registered.

The children in the house wanted to register for the tournament, but Martha forbade them, telling them they were still too young to Duel among adults. I could feel she was being overprotective after Taka, John and Mitch had almost gotten hurt during the first Shadow Duel with Roman.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The day arrived sooner than I thought. I had been practicing with the two songs that I had on my MP3-player that had followed me from my dimension.

A middle-large stage was set up at the edge of the bridge at New Domino City's side with a big crowd of people gathering. There were people wearing Duel Disks for the tag-team tournament after the small concert.

I was at backstage, standing behind the black curtains feeling very, _VERY_ nervous. My whole body shook by nervousness that I almost felt sick and the palms were getting sweaty while I was holding the microphone. The noise from people outside didn't help me to calm down one bit.

I was dressed in a white slight frilly tunic that wasn't transparent with short sleeves, revealing the pentagram Mark on my right arm, tight jeans, and black elegant sport shoes. I only had a fake-golden bracelet on my right wrist and a pair of earrings. My hair was behind my ears, revealing blue earrings that matched my eyes. Of course, I had some lip gloss, mascara and eyeshadow applied, thanks to Martha's help, giving me a natural look.

I heard Lazar's presentation going onstage behind me, thanking everyone for coming to the consecration of the Daedalus Bridge; the proof of the union between New Domino City and Satellite. In less than a minute would it be my time on the stage singing.

The transparent spirit of Galaxy Serpent appeared in front of me cooing gently. "_**You will be all fine, Mistress. Just relax and go on, like you always did when you were performing.**_"

I smiled, remembering the few times I had been singing on a few contests and playing with my recorder onstage. I had felt very nervous, but as soon as I had walked up onstage all my nervousness had disappeared and I went on like a real popstar.

"You're right", I smiled lightly. "Thank you, Galaxy Serpent."

"_**You're welcome, Mistress**_", the Duel Monster purred before disappearing.

"-_And now, before we start the tournament, let us all enjoy the concert of New Domino City's Shining Star Estelle Malmström!_" Lazar finished his speech.

People were clapping and whistling excitedly as I slowly walked through the curtains while Lazar walked off the stage. I stood in the middle on the stage seeing the crowd of excited people having shining eyes. I glanced down and spotted Yusei, Akiza, Leo, Luna, Jack and Crow standing close to the stage. All of them were smiling, except Jack who had a small smirk of joy, the twins and Crow waving their hands.

I smiled at the sight before turning my head to the left, sending a signal to a man who was responsible for turning on the music. I closed my eyes, following my inner rhythm for this song because I had often messed it up at the beginning.

**(AN: "A Million Voices" belongs to Polina Gagarina)**

"_We are the world's people  
Different yet we're the same  
We believe, we believe in a dream_"

The crowd was silent as I kept my eyes closed.

"_Praying for peace and healing  
I hope we can start again  
We believe, we believe in a dream_"

Now I slowly opened my eyes, smiling at the crowd, getting into the music.

"_So if you ever feel love is fading  
Together like the stars in the sky  
We can sing, we can shine_"

The nervousness I had felt before had now disappeared. I could feel in my heart how much I was enjoying this.

"_When you hear our voices call  
You won't be lonely anymore  
A, a million voices_

_Your heart is like a beating drum  
Burning brighter than the sun  
A, a million voices_"

The crowd cried out lightly, but not too loud to break the magic that was hanging in the air.

"_Now as the world is listening  
From cities and satellites  
We believe, we believe in a dream_"

This song was truly made for this opportunity. Even this part of the lyrics kinda matched for New Domino City and Satellite.

"_If you ever feel love is fading  
Together like the stars in the sky  
We can sing, we can shine_"

My Mark started glowing before I used my powers to do some special effects. A whirlpool of crimson powder surrounded me as it flew up before exploding, spreading the powder across the stage and the crowd. My voice got even stronger for this part of the song.

"_When you hear our voices call  
You won't be lonely anymore  
A, a million voices_"

The crowd was now going wild at the chorus. I placed my left hand on my collarbone, gesturing at my heart, making a beating motion.

"_Your heart is like a beating drum  
Burning brighter than the sun  
A, a million voices_"

I switched the microphone to my left hand as I used my right hand to gesture with my hand at the crowd going from left to right.

"_When I look around at these faces  
I can see the stars in the sky  
We will sing, we will shine_"

I remained silent for the singing group in the real song since I was all alone onstage.

"**(When you hear our voices call)  
(You won't be lonely anymore)  
(A, a million voices)**"

I switched the microphone back to my dominant hand and waved my free hand in the air, making the people wave their hands up in the air with me.

"_Singing out, singing out, oh  
Singing out, singing out, oh  
Singing out, a million voices_"

I glanced quickly at my friends seeing them having big exciting eyes as the twins waved their hands along with the song. Crow joined them and even Akiza. Only Yusei and Jack were resisting on joining me.

"_Singing out, singing out, oh  
Singing out, singing out, oh  
Singing out, a million voices  
A million voices_"

I threw my right hand up in the air with the microphone when the song ended, making my powers activate by sending up some fireworks that exploded above us. The crowd got all mad and cheered joyfully clapping really loudly.

I felt my face being warm by the inner excitement I was feeling. I had built up so much adrenaline so the next song was going to help me to get it all out.

I walked to the curtains and sat down on a small black couch that had been placed there while I had been singing without anyone noticing it. I heard the two seconds intro of the next song before I started singing again.

**(AN: "Heroes" belongs to Måns Zelmerlöw)**

"_Don't tell the gods I left a mess  
I can't undo what has been done  
Let's run for cover_"

I lifted up my left hand and snapped my fingers, igniting a cloud of crimson powder. That cloud flew down to the couch on my left, forming Galaxy Serpent.

"_What if I'm the only hero left?  
You better fire off your gun  
Once and forever_"

I glanced down at Galaxy Serpent as she looked up at me with gentle eyes. I moved slightly to the right making place for the Duel Monster as she crawled to the middle of the couch.

"_He said go dry your eyes  
And live your life like there is no tomorrow, son  
And tell the others_"

I crossed my legs and put a hand behind my head acting relaxed and a bit tomboyish.

"_To go sing it like a hummingbird  
The greatest anthem ever heard_"

I moved quickly to get into a properly position on the couch as Galaxy Serpent flapped open her wings and flew up. I moved the microphone to my left hand so I could use my right hand to place it on the side of the couch and sparkle up a new cloud of crimson powder. I moved up my hand and swept it across my face.

"_We are the heroes of our time  
But we're dancing with the demons in our minds_"

I moved my arm around to make the cloud of crimson powder pour down on me like rain as Galaxy Serpent floated next to me when I stood up from the couch. The "rain" poured down on me as I stomped with my left leg, making the "water" splash before I moved my right arm up, moving aside the rain.

"_We are the heroes of our time  
Heroes, oh whoa…  
But we're dancing with the demons in our minds  
Heroes, oh whoa…_"

I jumped up to the edge of the stage, moving with the rhythm while stomping my foot, enjoying the performance. I pointed towards the crowd, also into a camera, before sweeping my hand across my face. I moved back to the curtain to continue the "special effects".

"_We are the heroes of our time  
Heroes, oh whoa…  
But we're dancing with the demons in our minds  
Heroes, oh whoa…_"

The "rain" kept pouring down on me until I reached out my right hand to gather the "raindrops" in my palm and formed them into a small ball. The ball flew from me before I caught it with my hand. I lifted up my fist and opened the fist to reveal a tiny crimson light.

"_The crickets sing a song for you  
Don't say a word, don't make a sound  
It's life's creation_"

I threw the light to make it shatter into a cloud of crimson dust. I stepped up and turned to the crowd as the cloud transformed into a pair of butterfly wings on my back. The butterfly wings then turned into a universe around me. I moved my body with my hand as the universe moved around with me until I stopped.

"_I make worms turn into butterflies  
Wake up and turn this world around  
In appreciation_"

I wiped with my hand shattering the universe so the scene changed into a room with several small dragons Duel Monsters stepping up to me as we all leant our bodies to the right simultaneously. We straightened up our bodies before I fist-bumped with a miniature Genesis Dragon to the right.

"_He said I never left your side  
When you were lost I followed right behind  
Was your foundation_"

I opened my left arm as a red light appeared on my chest, revealing my heart with the dragons.

"_Now go sing it like a hummingbird  
The greatest anthem ever heard  
Now sing together_"

I jumped up to the stage again, doing the same moves as on the first chorus.

"_We are the heroes of our time  
Heroes, oh whoa…  
But we're dancing with the demons in our minds  
Heroes, oh whoa…_

_We are the heroes_"

I walked to the right of the stage as the black curtain showed a face of the crimson powder, acting like a singing group for the background song.

"**(We keep dancing with the demons)  
(You could be a hero)**"

A camera was pointing at my face making me slightly smile as I continue singing while I slowly turned back to the stage.

"_Now go sing it like a hummingbird  
The greatest anthem ever heard  
Now sing together_"

I sang out with all my heart putting my strength into the song. At the middle of the chorus, I gestured with my hand to my friends, telling them to get on stage with me. The twins didn't hesitate before rushing to the stairs with Crow and Akiza following. Yusei and Jack followed them slowly but still kept up with the others.

"_We are the heroes of our time  
Heroes, oh whoa…  
But we're dancing with the demons in our minds  
Heroes, oh whoa…_"

The twins jumped next to me excitedly as Akiza stood on my left and Crow on my right, jumping with me and the music. Yusei and Jack stood behind us, making me unable to see what they were doing. I moved my microphone to Akiza and let her sing the first "oh whoa" part before moving the mic to Crow to let him sing the other "oh whoa".

"_We are the heroes of our time  
Heroes, oh whoa…  
But we're dancing with the demons in our minds  
Heroes, oh whoa…_"

The group grew closer to me, even Yusei and Jack, before I took one step forward and raised my left fist up in the air, the black curtain showing a dragon with its left paw raised up as well.

"_We are the heroes_"

The crowd literally exploded in a row of applause and yelling excitedly. The twins, especially Leo, jumped excitedly and yelled out in victory. Crow placed his arm around my shoulders as Akiza hugged me around my waist. Even Jack ruffled my hair from behind making me smile by the gesture before brushing down my hair.

The crowd still clapped excitedly as Lazar stepped up to the stage, making all of us back and me giving the microphone to the purple-haired man.

"Thank you for the spectacular show, Estelle", Lazar smiled to me before turning to the audience. "Let us all become united with both New Domino and Satellite citizens. There is no long need for discrimination. We can all become friends; the proof standing right behind me." He pointed back at me and my friends with his thumb making some of us laugh at the comment. "And now… Let's start the union with our tag-team tournament, New Domino City and Satellite!"


	29. The Next Threat

**Hello, guys. I know I told you before that I would write a couple of bonus chapters, but I decided to skip them and go on with the next Arc of the 5D's instead.**

**And the link to Estelle's new Deck can be found on the profile.**

**Oh! And I want to thank Draconos13 for writing the 100th review for this story. It's all thanks to you guys that I've kept going with the story.**

**P.S. I changed the last part of the chapter a bit.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 29: The Next Threat**

The next six months had passed with the speed of lightning. The winter had come and gone and now the air was filled with the scent of spring incoming since some snow was still on the routes and in several areas, even though it was February.

I didn't get to see my friends so often now when everyone was busy with their lives. Yusei and Jack had moved out from Martha's house to settle down with Crow in an apartment they got to live in for free in Zora's clock shop. Zora was an old friend of Martha's and accepted the boys, even though I knew she could be very strict. Leo and Luna had convinced their parents to attend the Duel Academy and Akiza was back in her family, living a happy life and attending Duel Academy once again.

And what about my Duel Runner catastrophe? Well…

After Yusei had fixed the simple Duel Runner and made it have three wheels and I had managed to get control of the bike, I wasn't allowed to take the exam for both Duel Runner and Turbo Dueling licenses. Why, was the question. Trudge told me that I technically didn't exist in this dimension, so I was not registered in the world's catalogue of human citizens.

The truth was I wasn't so surprised about the news. I had a slight feeling my "freedom" was being limited in the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's dimension since I wasn't an original.

I felt really bad after that. Yusei had put so much time on the simple Duel Runner for me and now it got wasted because of the small "misunderstanding". I didn't think about the circumstances before I received the words from Trudge.

I had felt really bad and ashamed of it. I didn't tell my friends about the news at first because I didn't want them to feel sorry for me or kinda face Yusei's wrath, even though I knew he _couldn't_ get that scary-angry as certain characters I've seen in manga books and anime back in my dimension. But still… If I had been thinking about the circumstances, he would have used the time he spent on the simple Duel Runner for something else.

I had kind of cut myself off from the others for a while. I didn't go to see them at the young men's place or meet up with Akiza and Carly for some girl hangout or Dueling with the twins. You could say that some old wounds from my past were slowly ripping up again inside my heart. I was afraid to get rejected again, even though I knew my new friends wouldn't do that. But my other side was still scared to get laughed at because I was not a usually twenty-two years old woman. I have been hurt too many times in my past… I often thought maybe it would better for me if I remained alone for the rest of my life; not having any friends, not finding a man to marry, not starting a family… I was so scared I couldn't describe it. But when I finally told them, they were all fine with it. They claimed they understood why I didn't tell them and Yusei was not angry at all which had been a huge relief for me.

I still had the simple Duel Runner since I didn't have a real Duel Runner yet and I knew I would never get one while I was still in this dimension.

When the Daedalus Bridge had been connected, Martha used her contacts to find foster parents for the orphans that lived with her and placed them in new homes. Now, Martha's house was a daycare and a doctor's office in which Blister and I helped out with. Doctor Schmidt had moved in and had a part of the house as his office in which I helped out with. We even had a service that I could go and be a babysitter for a couple of hours in the costumer's home if their child didn't want to be left alone or didn't want to stay at Martha's house. It was a bit difficult at the start, but I gained more pocket-money to buy small things such as cheap clothes, notebooks, pencils, and other stuffs. And the most important thing to me; a diary. I used the diary to express my feelings, reflect my thoughts and practice on my English to boost. It had been a habit back in my dimension.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I was walking on the Daedalus Bridge, cleaning my head and to think about the upcoming events. The Meklord Emperors were next and so was the World Racing Grand Prix, even if there were six months away for the competition.

I stopped by the railing and looked at the sight of the sea. The sunlight reflected on the water which made it too bright for my eyes. Luckily, I had my sunglasses onto my glasses since I was slight sensitive to bright light.

I reached to my collarbone to play with a necklace I got from Yusei on the Christmas Eve. The necklace was a pair of feathers of silver. I closed my eyes to remember the Christmas party we had in the twins' house.

***FLASHBACK***

_The party was warm and colorful. The girls, meaning me, Akiza, Luna and Carly had been dressed in "half-sexy" Christmas outfits while the boys had kept their usual outfits. Akiza and I sang a couple of Christmas songs we had practiced on together while Carly had sneaked up behind the couch and tried to put on a smile on Jack's lips which he had argued with a pair of red cheeks._

_Once the current song was over, I sat down on the couch to rest a bit while pouring a small cup of non-alcoholic mulled wine._

_"Lost breathe?" Crow snickered from an armchair._

_"Yep…", I panted slightly before taking a sip of the mulled wine._

_Just then a new Christmas song was playing and it wasn't just any song. It was "Last Christmas (Single Version)" by Wham. I got so surprised that I nearly choked on my drink. I spat back the liquid into the cup and coughed hard. That caught the others in alarm._

_"Estelle? Are you okay?" Leo who sat next to me started patting my back._

_I felt my lungs getting better thanks to the boy's help. "Y-Yeah… Just took a too big sip of the hot mulled wine."_

_The group relaxed and continued to have fun; Carly and Luna dancing around with Crow joining them, Yusei and Akiza having a chat while Jack sat with his arms crossed looking irritated but actually enjoyed the time._

_I placed my cup on the coffee table and walked to the terrace. I slid open the glass door and stepped out in the winter night. I didn't need to put on a jacket because my powers provided me an aura that kept me warm in the chilly air._

_I walked around the empty pool and went to the edge of the roof. I hugged myself in comfort as I still could hear the song "Last Christmas" in my head. That was the song my parents and I played every Christmas ever since I was a baby._

_It made me think about my situation. I was "trapped" in the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's dimension with a quest, and after the quest would be complete I could return to my dimension. But… Did I really want to go back or did I even have a choice to stay? The Crimson Dragon hadn't told me any details yet what would happen to me once the mission was over. Besides, there was another puzzle. The few minutes before I got teleported to this dimension, I remembered I was sitting in Dad's car going home after playing in the small Yu-Gi-Oh! tournament in Stockholm. Then something went wrong and there had been a crash…_

_The blood in my veins almost turned into ice and it was not by the icy wind. What if I had died in that crash and got reborn in this dimension?! I nearly got a panic attack, but calmed down by rubbing my forehead. It always helped me when I was in distress. The panic attack disappeared to be replaced with a stormy sea of sadness and confusion. If I really was dead in my dimension… My parents would be right now mourning over my death and even my dog would probably sense that something had happened to me. But… If I wasn't dead, but got teleported in time before the crash… I would probably be world-wide wanted all over the globe._

_I was getting more confused so I tried to shut out those thoughts and calm down myself. Between my parents, I stood most closely to my mother. She was the one who had always been by my side and helped me mature and develop into the young woman I was today, even if I still had slight difficulties because of my autistic behaviors._

_Thinking of my parents made my eyes moist as I tried holding back the tears. When a tear did escape from my eye, I wiped it off and looked up at the dark sky filled with stars and a big moon. I kept looking up while being lost in thoughts so I jumped when I heard Yusei's voice next to me._

_"Is everything okay?"_

_I turned to the left to see Yusei look at me with a worried expression. I rubbed off some stray tears from my cheeks before nodding. "Yeah… I was just…thinking about my family…"_

_Yusei looked a bit confused before he remembered. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot you're from another universe."_

_I chuckled lightly. "I almost forgot about it myself, but…that song made me remember…"_

_"Which song?"_

_"The song "Last Christmas" by Wham. The one that was played when I choked on my drink." I looked up at the sky again. "My parents always played that song every Christmas ever since I was a baby. It became very special to me at the Christmas Eve." I sighed and looked down. "I miss my parents. Especially my mother. She was the one I stood close to and helped me develop and mature… Making me stronger mentally…" I let out another sigh. "But I still have much to learn…"_

_I turned my eyes back at the sky, letting the cold air get into my lungs to calm me down. I didn't know what Yusei thought, but neither of us said anything until he broke the silence._

_"You were lucky…"_

_"Hm?" I turned to Yusei to see him look at the night sky._

_"You were lucky to live with your parents… Knowing and loving them…unlike me…", the young man mumbled, having a poker face to hide his inner sadness._

_I could tell he was suffering about losing both his parents at the Zero Reverse incident, or at least his father. No one knew what happened to his mother since she had been reported MIA (Missing in Accident). I got that information from Trudge when I had asked him about Yusei's parents and he did say the information was classified, but he made an exception since we both were friends with Yusei._

_I turned around and surprised Yusei by giving him a hug. I wrapped my arms around his waist as I pressed my body close to his. I felt Yusei's body freeze in surprise as I heard his heartbeat speeding up by the embrace._

_"E-Estelle…?!" Yusei gasped._

_"You may have never known your parents, Yusei…", I began. "But they truly and deeply loved you. They had you because they loved and wanted you in their lives. Your father sent you to safety because he wanted to protect you and let you grow up into the fine young man you are today." I felt new tears collect in my eyes as I tried comforting Yusei. "Your parents wanted you to keep living as they will always watch over you from the place where their souls are resting in peace…" My voice was slowly starting to shake. "N-Never think y-you were unloved, b-because…y-you are still loved b-by your parents' spirits…"_

_I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. I started crying for Yusei. I cried the tears that he might have been holding inside for a long time and never wanted to bring them out because he didn't want to consider himself as weak._

_I felt his arms wrap around my shoulder blades, bringing me closer to him as he rested his chin on my left shoulder. I shivered slightly when I felt his breathe on my neck._

_"Thank you…", he whispered._

_I hummed in reply and kept my arms around him. I felt water drops hit my bare shoulder, realizing Yusei was crying. I lifted my right hand up and rubbed circles on his back to comfort him. It caused him to lean more into me, tightening his arms around me._

_We stayed in the embrace for a couple of minutes until the muscles in Yusei's arms relaxed and his grip wasn't as strong as moments ago. Strangely, he hesitated to let me go as I took one slow step back. We looked into each other's eyes, both of us smiling gently. As I drew back my arms, they rubbed against Yusei's and when we reached to the hands, Yusei grabbed mine gently and kept them there._

_My heart beat faster by this slight romantic moment, but I didn't want to get big expectations to only get them crumbled down in the end. We kept the eye contact and our smiles until Yusei spoke first._

_"Thank you…"_

_I smiled warmly. "You're welcome…"_

_Yusei gave me a small smile before he let go of my hands to grab something from the pocket of his jacket. "I… I wanted to give this to you…in private."_

_I blinked when I heard his shy voice. It wasn't every day you heard that, and it was really cute._

_Yusei held out a small but thin gift that was wrapped in purple paper with slight silver glittery decorations. It had a lavender ribbon around the gift._

_I let a small smile reach my lips as I grabbed the wrapped present with both my hands. "Thank you… But you didn't have to go and buy me a gift."_

_"I wanted to", Yusei replied quickly. "It's a…thank you gift for everything you've done for me back at the Dark Signers incident."_

_I nodded as I carefully unwrapped the present, not ripping apart the paper. I read once back in my dimension that in Japan the wrapping of a present is just as valuable as the present inside it. Ever since then, I have been opening my presents on birthdays and Christmas with carefulness._

_The gift was a jewelry box. When I opened it, I held back a gasp as my eyes widened. Inside the box was a silver necklace in the shape of a pair of two feathers. I picked up the necklace by the chain and looked at the feathers._

_"This is…", I mumbled._

_"Since you gave me the Spell card A Feather of the Phoenix, I wanted to give something similar in return", Yusei explained._

_Yes, I let Yusei keep the Spell card since I thought it could one day be useful for him._

_"I… I can't accept this", I said. "This must have cost you a lot of money."_

_Yusei grabbed my hand in which I held the necklace. "Please. I insist."_

_I saw in Yusei's eyes that he would remain stubborn if I didn't accept the expensive present. So I gave up and nodded with a small smile. "Okay… If you really insist. Could you help me put it on?"_

_"Sure", Yusei replied._

_He grabbed the necklace out of my hand and walked around me to stand behind me. I moved my hair aside and let him put on the necklace. I tried not to shiver when I felt his bare fingers brush against my skin. Once the necklace was put on, we walked back to the party in silence._

***END OF FLASHBACK***

Ever since Christmas Eve, I had been wearing the necklace every single day. It was special to me because I got it from my secret crush and I had never received any jewelry from other men. I did once get a pretty cute keychain from a boy who had neurological disorders himself. The heart-shaped keychain was rather cheap, but I still kept it because of the same reason as my necklace.

I heard the sound of a Duel Runner approach on the bridge. I turned around and spotted a familiar red Duel Runner. The motorcycle braked next to me as the driver rolled up the wind shield of his helmet before looking up at me.

"Hey, Estelle", Yusei greeted.

"Hi, Yusei", I smiled. "What's up?"

"Nothing really", Yusei shrugged. "Jack, Crow and I are trying to build the new engine for our Duel Runners for the WRGP."

"Any progress?"

"I'm actually about to go home to install a few things that should do it. Want to come?"

"Sure. I've got nothing to "entertain" myself this afternoon."

Yusei chuckled at my comment and made space for me to sit behind him. I sat down and wrapped my arms around his waist. When we were sure I wouldn't fall off, Yusei sped off with his Runner.

I blushed as I rested my cheek against his back. I was in a small conflict with my feelings for this man. I wanted to confess, but I didn't want to have his heart broken if I was going to return to my world once my mission was done in this dimension. Yusei didn't deserve having a broken heart. He had gone through a lot and the last thing he needed was a heart so broken that it might never get healed again.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Jack and Crow were in the garage where they kept their Duel Runners, including the new Runner they had built to experiment on with the engine. Crow was still dressed in his Blackbird Delivery outfit, Jack dressed in his Turbo outfit and Yusei not wearing his jacket. I tried my best not to stare at Yusei's bare arms with slight muscles. As I might have mentioned before, I didn't like men with big muscles like Greiger's, but those muscles Yusei had were…dare I say…perfect.

Jack pushed on some speed, the engine making a comfortable sound for a machine. The rest of us monitored the progress on a laptop. Yusei had a pair of protective gears on his face in case something would happen like an explosion.

"A few more weeks and we should be able to test this new engine on full throttle!" Yusei said with a loud voice to overcome the noise.

"Forget the few more weeks, Yusei, I say test it now!" Crow said excitedly.

"Why not?" Jack agreed. "With Jack Atlas on the driver seat, what could possibly go wrong?"

"A lot", I commented making Crow chuckle.

Jack glared at me before starting speeding up more, causing an even louder sound that was too much for my ears.

Yusei shot up from his seat in front of me. "Jack, lay down the accelerator!"

"What?! Accelerate more?! Okay!" Jack replied, not hearing what Yusei said, and accelerated even more.

"No! Decelerate!" Crow panicked.

"Pull over!" I yelled.

As expected, an explosion occurred. I reached out one of my hands in time to create a shield around me and the two young men behind me. A piece of the Duel Runner hit the shield and leant against it as the smoke was in the air.

Once the turbulent was over, I let down the shield so Yusei and Crow could stand up properly. "Are you two okay?" I turned to them.

Yusei removed the protective gear. "Yeah, thanks to you."

Crow stood up looking around. "Hey, did Jack blow up with the Duel Runner?!"

Jack shot up from the pile of the remaining parts of the experiment Runner. "Very funny, Crow!"

Yusei knelt down next to the demolished Runner. "We pushed it too hard."

"What do you mean "we"? That was all Jack", Crow said, pointing at said man.

"I beg your pardon?! You were the one who told me to go full throttle!" Jack retorted.

I knelt down next to Yusei to help him find important parts of the Duel Runner that were still in good shape while we listened to Crow and Jack's bickering about whose fault it was.

"I'm amazed, Yusei", I commented as I dug my hands into the pile. "How can you bear to live with these two when they get as loud as now?"

"Simple, I ignore them", Yusei shrugged, picking up the engine the trio was working on.

I looked up and saw a crowd gathering by the windows to the garage, watching us or more precisely the bickering duo.

"Guys-", I called them.

"That's enough!"

We looked up at the stairs where the three men's landlord stood and glared down at us. The crowd gathered behind Zora as they tried to peek inside.

"Uh-oh, our landlord…", Crow mumbled nervously.

"She doesn't scare me", Jack snorted, acting like a big man.

"Oh, is that so, Mister Tough Guy?! Well, does living on the streets with the rats scare ya?! 'Cause I'm this close to tossing you bums out!" Zora warned.

"Wait, no, you don't understand!" Jack panicked. "That explosion… It was just-"

"Just nothing!" Zora yelled, causing Jack to shut up. "I'm sick and tired of all your excuses, so don't even bother with them!"

"Sorry, Zora. We've been working on the new engine again", Yusei apologized.

"Yeah, and I'm afraid we have to make some noise once in a while", I added.

Zora went into kind mode, seeing me and Yusei since we were well-mannered compared to Crow and Jack. "Yusei, Estelle, dears! Say no more! You go ahead and make all the noise you want." She walked down the stairs to walk up to us. "After all, you did save the world from those Dark Signers." Yes, Zora knew the story since Martha had told her about the Dark Signers and everything about it. "I know the save was all four of you, but you two just really have to quit being so modest." Yes again, she liked me and Yusei most since we were her favorites.

"Sure, whatever you say", Yusei said with a confused voice.

Jack and Crow let out sighs of relief for not getting tossed out from the current place they were hiring. I chuckled at their reaction before we heard the siren of a Sector Security vehicle driving up to the house.

We walked up to the door to meet Trudge and Mina. Zora apologized immediately, thinking someone had called them due to the explosion, but that was not the case. Trudge and Mina stepped inside the garage with the rest of us while Zora chased away the curious people who still hanged around.

I stayed in the background, knowing what they would talk about. Trudge was surprised to see the young men were still trying to perfect the new engine prototype and use it for the WRGP. But then the topic went to the mysterious Turbo Duelist called the Ghost and the question if Yusei, Jack and Crow could help Sector Security. However, Crow was against the idea. He was so into preparing for the WRGP and completely refused, just as in the anime. He pushed out Trudge and Mina before closing the door. I decided to give him a small "punishment" for the way he acted by summoning Decoy Dragon.

Crow had just locked the twin door when Decoy Dragon bumped onto his head and shifted his head so it covered Crow's face. The carrot-head yelped and struggled to get Decoy Dragon off him. Decoy Dragon acted like a cat and remained on his head. Crow couldn't see anything and stumbled backwards, falling down the stairs and landed on his stomach. Once the young man was down, Decoy Dragon flew up and headed to me. Crow rubbed his face and sore head before looking up. Decoy Dragon flew around me before settling down my shoulder like Pikachu from "Pokémon". I smiled at my little dragon, scratching his chin as he made purring noise.

"What the heck was that for, Estelle?!" Crow asked.

"Because, Crow, you shouldn't have acted like that with Mina and Trudge", I replied.

Crow stood up, rubbing his face. "Yeah, I know, but I want us to focus on-"

"The Ghost is just the prelude of the next threat that's coming to New Domino City", I interrupted him.

"What?!" the trio exclaimed in shock.

"The next threat?" Jack questioned.

"Why do you think we still have our Marks?" I asked, pointing at my covered arm where my Star Mark was. "The Crimson Dragon has the power to remove them from the current holders and he could have done that after we beat the Dark Signers, but he didn't. It means our fight with Yliaster is still ongoing and the new darkness is the proof of it."

"And what exactly is this threat?" Yusei wondered.

"I want to tell you guys, but I can't", I shook my head. "It will break the possible chain of events, but I can tell you that the enemies are stronger than the Dark Signers. And this Ghost has a Monster that can do death-threatening damage if you lose against him."

The three men were about to ask me more when the sound of my cell phone rang in the pocket of my jacket. I picked it up and saw it was Martha who was calling. I denied the call, knowing she wanted me to come back home. "I have to go."

Decoy Dragon purred as he remained on my shoulder. The men were silent as I walked up the stairs to the door. I unlocked it and was about to step outside, but stopped for a second, playing with the necklace again to get rid of the nervousness.

"Once again, I'm sorry I can't tell you", I apologized. "But I'm warning you…" I looked down at the trio. "If you encounter the Ghost, do not use Synchro Monsters against him." With that said, I stepped out to the fresh air and closed the door behind me.

I was deep inside feeling really bad for not telling more to the boys, but I had to shut up and let the events go on as in the anime or else everything could get so messed up because of me. With a sigh, I summoned White-Horned Dragon to fly back to Martha's place.

**While I wrote the Christmas flashback, I was listening to soundtracks from "Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha" Season 1 and there were many sad and emotional ones that made me shed a couple of tears and get into the sad part even better.**


	30. The Ambush

**The story has a new cover if you haven't noticed it. I'm very proud of it since I made it myself. I had a hard time choosing the right pose, so I'm satisfied with this one.**

**Now, there will be certain twists that'll make the story a bit darker than usual.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 30: The Ambush**

White-Horned Dragon got down on all four limbs when he landed outside of Martha's house. I jumped off his neck and rubbed his chin to show my gratitude. "Thank you, White-Horned." The dragon growled affectionately before he dissipated.

Martha's house was still the same, but they had renovated a bit to make it look fresher and not shabby. It had cost Martha nothing since Mina made the city pay for the renovation because the "heroes", meaning Yusei, Jack and Crow, used to live in the house. Even the garden was bigger making Martha able to grow vegetables during spring and summer and several flowers.

I stepped inside the house to meet up with Martha. "Estelle, thank you for coming back so quickly. Two kids were dropped off by their parents that will stay over for the night", the woman explained. "One of them is certainly excited to meet you." I could hear laughter from one of the rooms that were specific for the daycare part of the house.

"Then I'll go and introduce me to the new children", I nodded with a smile. I took off my jacket and hooked it up on a clothes hanger before walking into the room where the children were playing.

There were four children altogether; two familiar and two unknown. The two familiar ones were Kenneth and Lisa. Kenneth was a six years boy with black hair and brown eyes. Lisa was a five years old girl with long copper brown hair and green eyes.

The two new children were also one boy and one girl. The boy was five years old with brown hair and hazel eyes. The girl was four years old with strawberry blonde hair tied up into two braids and blue eyes.

The children had been playing with some toys, but stopped when I stepped into the room. I looked at all four of them before smiling gently. "Hello."

"Estelle!" Kenneth and Lisa jumped up onto their feet and rushed over to me, hugging my legs.

I chuckled at them, rubbing the top of their heads. "Did you guys miss me so much during the hour I was out?"

"Of course we did!" Kenneth replied, looking up at me.

"It's fun with you around!" Lisa added as the two of them released my legs.

I shifted my eyes at the two children that hadn't moved from their place on the floor. The little girl was blushing really hard while the boy tilted his head cutely. I walked up and knelt down in front of them. "Hi there, little ones", I greeted with a gentle voice. "What are your names?"

"I'm Chrono", the boy said.

"I… Uh…", the girl with the braids blushed. "I'm…Belle."

"Well, Chrono, Belle, nice to meet you", I smiled. "What were you guys playing?"

"We played Duel Monsters!" Kenneth replied excitedly. "We acted like our favorite Monsters and chased each other. It was really fun! I was a Flame Swordsman!" He made a move that seemed like he was swinging a sword.

"I felt like being an Aurora Wing! It's a beautiful monster!" Lisa nodded.

"I was Dark Magician! It's the strongest monster ever!" Chrono said.

"I… Um… I was…a Orient Dragon…", Belle mumbled shyly.

I arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Orient Dragon? That used to be one of my dragons."

Belle looked up at me with shiny eyes. "Um… I watched…Fortune Cup last year…" She looked down at the floor. "I love dragons…just like you, Estelle…" She looked up with her eyes shyly. "I'm…your fan…"

I blinked in surprise before smiling. "I'm happy to meet a cute little fan like you." Belle smiled widely at my comment.

"Hey, Estelle?" Kenneth spoke up.

"Yes?" I turned to him.

"Can we watch when you practice before dinner?"

"Yeah, can we, please?" Lisa put on the cute puppy-eyes.

"Well…", I hesitated.

"Practice?" Chrono blinked confusedly.

"Estelle knows martial arts and handling weapons! She's truly awesome!" Lisa explained excitedly.

"R-Really…?" Belle mumbled.

"Okay", I replied, giving in. "But you have to stay in a distance so you don't get hurt."

"Yeah!" the four children cheered together.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The four children stayed in a safe distance when I practiced on my skills; martial arts, magic and weapons. I didn't transform so I used a wooden staff as a weapon to practice with, swinging it and imagining blocking attacks on me.

At dinner, the children told Martha what they had seen during my practice that they nearly forgot to eat. So Martha and I had to remind them several times. It was really adorable to see the children being excited over something I did. I never had such experience back in my dimension.

When the children got to bed, I read a bedtime story that I had written for them before going to my room to think about the upcoming events. I still felt bad for not telling the boys more about the Meklord Emperors, but I knew I couldn't or else the chain of events would break.

I was thinking about this matter a while until I felt like I couldn't concentrate on it, so I decided to go out on a walk to clear my head before bedtime.

I pulled on my shoes and grabbed my jacket as Martha walked up to me. "Where are you going, Estelle?" she asked.

"Just out on a walk", I replied as I pulled on the jacket.

Martha nodded, "Okay, but don't be out for long."

"I won't", I replied with a small smile.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The evening air was chilly but fresh for early February. It was only a week before Valentine's Day. I was planning on making chocolate for everyone in the group. Martha knew how to make them and I had some experience back in my old dimension when I tried making chocolate for my parents.

I listened to the silence around me, letting the fresh air erase all the pressure and thoughts in my head. There were no cars in the neighborhood so it was a peaceful night…until I heard the noise of a Duel Runner approaching. I looked up at the road where I was walking next to and saw a pair of flashlights brighten up the darkness. I couldn't see who the driver was, but I recognized the Duel Runner.

"The Ghost?" I mumbled confusedly.

The Ghost drove past me to turn around and drive back to me. I acted as if it was nothing, but deep inside I was freaking out. The Ghost stopped only one meter from me, glancing at me with its mechanical eyes.

"Crimson Star Priestess, my masters would like to meet you", the Ghost said, making my eyes widen in shock. "I was assigned to be your escort."

"Well, I'm _not_ going with strangers!" I replied harshly before running away.

The Ghost drove after me as he was exactly next to me, reaching for my arm. I jumped aside and tried to shake him off by running into a small alleyway. I could push myself through, but the Ghost couldn't with his Runner.

I made it to the other block and rested my hands on the knees while trying to maintain my breath. When I thought I had shaken off the Ghost, he appeared from the corner of the block. I cursed and ran again, hearing the Duel Runner coming closer.

"There is no use to run, Priestess", the Ghost said with his mechanical voice. "You have to give up sooner or later."

"As if!" I retorted.

I swore to myself when I recalled having my Deck at home, meaning I couldn't summon any Duel Monsters. That time with Decoy Dragon at the three men's garage was that my Deck had been in the pocket of my jacket.

I realized I had no other choice but to transform. I hadn't used my powers to transform into the Warrior Form since the final battle with the Dark Signers. I only saved that for critical moments, but I guess this was one of those situations.

I pulled up the sleeve of my right arm to reveal the crimson Star Mark. I raised up my arm, concentrating my energy at the Mark until it started glowing. It was time to unlock the power with the two keywords.

"Crimson Star!"

A bright crimson light erupted from the Mark as energy surrounded me. I felt my clothes and glasses disappear to get replaced with the Warrior Armor and adding the two bird wings on my back. Once the transformation was over I jumped up into the air and spread the wings. I flew as fast as I could away from the Ghost who still followed me from the ground. I tried coming up with a plan. My current plan was to escape the Ghost by leading him to one of the Turbo Duel courses that were connected to the Daedalus Bridge.

I flew higher up so the Ghost wouldn't be able to spot me so easily. I still kept my eyes on him down on the ground, but when I looked away for a moment and then back at the course he was gone!

"Oh, no!" I gasped, halting my flying while looking around. "Where did he go?"

I turned to every direction with my eyes downwards, not noticing how a big shadow was reaching for me. Luckily, I noticed the incoming threat and quickly blocked it with a katana I had summoned with a feather from my wings.

My eyes jerked when I saw the familiar figure of Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity. "How…" I pushed against Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity's arm with the katana before flipping backwards in the air. I went into a pose, holding the katana with both my hands as I kept my eyes on the Meklord Emperor.

I heard the Ghost's Duel Runner purring the engine below me. I cast a glance down and spotted him on the Turbo Duel course.

"You led me having no choice but using force to bring you to my masters", the Ghost said. "Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity, grab the Priestess!"

The monster reached its hand towards me, but I flew back and countered with a slash of my katana. Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity roared in pain when I had slashed his arm, but I noticed the cut got healed in only a few seconds!

"What's this?!" I gasped.

That was a perfect distraction for the Monster to grab me and hold me in a tight grip. I managed to keep the katana in my hand as I struggled in the grip. I tried sending a few crimson spheres at Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity, but they bounced on its armor. I was literally starting to get scared now!

"W-What…?" I mumbled.

The Ghost laughed below me. "The Meklord Emperors are immune to your powers, Crimson Star Priestess! My masters foresaw your powers and rebuilt the Meklord Emperors to stand against you!"

That explained why I couldn't make any injuries at the Monster, but that didn't mean I had to give up. I shifted the katana in my right hand since my arms were sealed by the grip of the Monster. With all the strength I had, I struck the katana deeply into Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity's arm as I sent some of my powers to the katana to make it glow like magma. The Monster roared in true pain, causing it to loosen its grip on me. I took the chance and jumped up before flapping my wings. My whole body was sore and ached due to the hard grip.

The Ghost growled, "You won't get away, Priestess! Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity!"

The Monster used its healing power to force the katana out of its arm. The katana headed down to the course, but it transformed back into a red feather. Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity roared in anger as its optics began glowing.

I pulled out another feather and transformed it into another katana as the Monster jumped towards me. I tried to distract it first with some fire attacks, but they didn't help. So I had to fly towards the Monster and swing the katana at its head. But before I could make it to the head, Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity's optics started glowing again as it prepared an assault.

I only saw the Monster open its "mouth" on the chest and after that I felt horrible pain surge my body before everything turned black.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Estelle's bruised and unconscious body crashed on the course making a small crater. The Ghost drove up to the crater while calling back Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity. He stopped by the crater, looking at Estelle cautiously in case she would suddenly wake up.

Estelle's outfit was torn apart, but still covered the private areas. Her body was full with wounds that were bleeding after the Monster's attack. She was completely knocked out.

"Excellent", the Ghost chuckled. "Now to escort her to the masters-"

A siren caught his attention. He looked over his shoulder to see green light blinking in the distance, telling him the Sector Security was heading towards them.

"Guess it will have to wait", the Ghost pushed on the accelerator and drove past the crater, leaving the crime scene.

Officer Trudge was riding on the Sector Security Runner. He had been scouting the area so he could encounter the Ghost and arrest him. But an explosion-like noise had caught his attention and drove to the Turbo Duel course where the noise came from. He spotted a crater up ahead and a body inside of it. He skidded to a halt and got off the Runner before running to the crater. Trudge let out a choked gasp when he saw who it was.

"E-Estelle?!" he rushed into the crater and knelt down next to her. "Oh, no! What on Earth happened to you?" He turned on the mic of his helmet. "Officer Trudge to Headquarters! We have an injured woman on the Turbo Duel course number 3! Send an ambulance ASAP!"

"_Roger that! An ambulance is heading to Turbo Duel course number 3._"

Trudge turned his attention back on Estelle and saw the necklace around her neck was gone. He pressed two fingers on her throat to feel the pulse. It was weak, but it was still there.

"Estelle… Who did this to you?" Trudge mumbled to himself.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Crow POV**

I was on my way home after a night shift delivery. I felt exhausted, but I knew I could go and sleep in my comfortable bed when I get home. Having a delivery service and being a full-time Duelist sure took a toll on me. My last delivery had been in an area in Satellite so I had to drive on the Daedalus Bridge to get back to New Domino City.

I was only halfway when I heard the sirens of an ambulance coming from one of the Turbo Duel courses. I stopped my Duel Runner at the side of the bridge and removed my goggles to take a closer look on what was going on. It looked like someone got injured by the rumored Ghost again, but I felt my blood freeze into ice when I saw who the victim was.

"Estelle?!" I exclaimed, seeing the ambulance driver load up a trolley with Estelle who was wrapped in bandage and had an oxygen mask attached on her face. Officer Trudge stood next to them, also looking worried about her.

Unknowingly to me, a tear escaped my eye as the ambulance drove away with Trudge following it on his Runner. "I gotta tell the guys…!"

I started the engine of my Duel Runner and drove after the ambulance while calling Yusei's number on his laptop since I knew he would be still awake. Only three seconds later, a screen with Yusei popped up on my Duel Runner's monitor.

"_Crow? What's wrong?_" Yusei asked.

"Hey, get Jack out of his bed and head to the hospital immediately!" I shouted, hearing my voice was shaking.

"_Why? What happened?_" Yusei arched an eyebrow.

"Someone hurt Estelle and she looks like she has her life at stake!"

"_WHAT?! I'll get Jack immediately!_" Yusei finished the call.

I drove up to Trudge, seeing he looked angry and upset as well. "Hey, Trudge!"

"Crow?" Trudge looked up, finally noticing me. "What're you doing here?"

"I was on my way home when I saw the ambulance!" I replied. "What happened to Estelle?!"

"I don't know! I was following your idea to hunt for the Ghost at night and arrest him myself, but then I heard an explosion and found Estelle in this critical shape", Trudge replied before growling. "I'm gonna make the one who did this to her pay…"

I was also angry at the one who hurt Estelle. She was like a big sister to me and I really looked up to her.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

The ambulance made it to the hospital in few minutes and the doctors rolled in Estelle to the ER. Trudge had contacted Mina so she was already there to meet them. Her eyes widened when she saw Estelle's condition. Trudge walked up to Mina and let her rest her head against his chest. Crow sat down on a bench, feeling the sudden adrenaline disappear from his body which made him now exhausted. He rested his face on the palms of his hands and rubbed his tired eyes.

Trudge and Mina followed the carrot-head's example and sat down on the bench. They all remained quiet. No one dared to say a word until Mina spoke up. "What actually happened?"

"I don't know yet. Sector Security is looking up to it as we wait for Estelle's condition", Trudge replied. "But I suspect the Ghost is behind the attack."

The doors to the hospital were thrown open by Yusei and Jack as they rushed to the group.

"Crow! Mina! Trudge!" Yusei called.

The trio stood up from the bench meeting up with the two young men. "Hey, fellas…", Crow mumbled lowly.

"Where's Estelle?!" Jack asked panicky.

"In the ER…", Mina replied with a shaking voice.

"Will she make it?" Yusei wondered worriedly.

"The doctors aren't sure yet…", Trudge answered the question.

Just then the doors to the ER opened for the doctors to roll out the trolley with the injured woman. Yusei and Jack gasped in shock when they saw Estelle's condition. She was also hooked to an IV that was connected to the trolley and had an oxygen mask covering her nose and mouth.

"Estelle!" the young men shouted as they gathered around the trolley.

"Please step aside", one of the doctors told the trio.

Estelle grunted in pain as she heard the familiar voices of her friends which grabbed their attention.

"What happened? Who did this?!" Yusei asked, feeling angry for seeing his secret crush being in pain.

Estelle opened her only visible eye as the other eye was covered by the bandage and looked up at the raven-haired man. Her voice hissed due to the mask. "The Ghost… An ambush…" She felt her body ache in pain. "Meklords…immune to…my powers…" She had a hard time to breathe because she had a couple of fractures on her ribs.

"What do you mean?" Yusei cold sweated.

"There's no time to lose! Let's move!" the doctor spoke up again pushing the trolley with his assistant into the surgery room.

"The Ghost suddenly targeted Estelle just like that?" Jack wondered.

"If she says so, but the question is why? She's not a Turbo Duelist and she didn't have her Deck with her after she turned back into her casual clothes", Trudge said.

"Wait, you mean she transformed into that warrior outfit as she did half a year ago at the final battle with the Dark Signers?" Crow asked.

"Yes, I found her in that outfit, but her powers caused them to turn back to her normal outfit after I had arrived", Trudge nodded.

"And she said those Meklords are immune to her powers…", Yusei mumbled. "Something's going on if the Ghost has targeted her."

"Yeah, but what?" Mina asked worriedly. "Does this mean New Domino City and Satellite are in danger again and Estelle is the key to it?"

"Estelle did mention after you guys left that a new threat is coming", Jack explained. "She didn't say any details, but she warned us about not using Synchro Monsters against the Ghost."

"What the heck is going on…?" Crow mumbled lowly, feeling really angry at the Ghost. He wanted to know more about the situation, but Estelle had warned him and his foster brothers to not know so much about the future or else the chain of events would end up breaking.


	31. Meeting with the Crimson Dragon

**Let me warn you; the first part will be quite long and slight boring since it will be a conversation with the Crimson Dragon, but it holds necessary parts that are important for the upcoming events.**

**The chapter starts in Estelle's point of view.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 31: Meeting with the Crimson Dragon**

_I felt like I was floating, but something felt different. I grunted before opening my eyes seeing a very blurry sight. I reached my hand on the face to rub off the sleepiness in the eyes before I could see where I was._

_A clear blue sky with fluffy white clouds and sweet fresh air was the first impression. I sat up, but gasped in pain when I felt my body ache._

"Aj… (Ow…)", _I moaned._ "Vad hände? (What happened?)"

"**You were ambushed by the Ghost, Mistress**", _a male voice spoke up._

_I looked up and spotted Star Eater who was flying above me, blocking the sun for me._ "Star Eater…?" _I looked around and saw I was in the Spirit World. Duel Spirits, especially fairies, were playing around and looked happy._

_The Spirit World looked just like last time I had visited a month ago. The world was clean from the corrupted darkness during the time with the Dark Signers._

_I took a glance at myself and saw I was wearing that white summer dress I had six to seven months ago when I was trapped in the realm between the Spirit World and the Signers' dimension and my eyes were all fine without the glasses._

"Okay…?" _I mumbled before I remembered the ambush._ "Ah! I remember now! The Meklord Emperor was immune to my powers and I got…" _I grew silent._ "…got defeated…"

"**I am sure you have many questions**", _Star Eater began._ "**You will get the answers soon.**" _He lowered down his neck._ "**Climb on. Lord Crimson Dragon has asked for your presence.**"

_I climbed up on Star Eater's neck and held onto his scales. He flapped his wings and flew up to the air. My long hair ruffled by the wind as we headed to wherever the Crimson Dragon was located._

_I felt worried about my friends. I remembered how scared and worried Jack, Yusei and Crow were when I saw them last time before I was brought to the surgery. I wondered if they were looking for the Ghost and Yusei was in a Turbo Duel with him._

_Star Eater flew to a mountain area where many dragon Duel Spirits had their home. It was like the real version of the Field Spell card Dragon Ravine. I even spotted dragon babies of Luster Dragon. They looked so cute, but they didn't yet have the beautiful sapphire scales._

_Star Eater flew to a gigantic temple that didn't have a roof and was on the top of a big mountain. He flew down to the floor of the temple and let me climb off him. I had to move carefully since my spirit form was feeling some pain of my real body._

_When I looked around, I spotted Light End Dragon and Orient Dragon together with Ancient Fairy Dragon._ "Hi!" _I greeted them, happy to see the two of my former Synchro Monsters._

"**Mistress Estelle**", _Light End Dragon rumbled gently._ "**It is so lovely to see you again.**"

"**But things would have been more pleasant if you weren't as hurt as your body**", _Orient Dragon spoke with his Chinese accent._

"Yeah, I guess so…", _I replied lowly._ "Where are we anyway?"

"**It is Lord Crimson Dragon's sacred temple**", _Ancient Fairy Dragon replied._

"Sacred temple?" _I said in surprise, looking around._

_There were dragons carved on the walls with sculptures standing on pedestals that made a path to a throne in the temple. There was a throne in the middle that was made of gold with rubies decorating. It grabbed my attention. The throne was at the size for a human. The Crimson Dragon couldn't fit in it, unless…_

_A strong gust went through the air and caught everyone's attention, including mine. The dragons stood up in a row and bowed towards the throne as I remained in front of them watching the scene._

_A line that looked like the body of the Crimson Dragon traveled down from the sky and floated around the temple as if inspecting the visitors. When it was done, the line went to the throne and floated above it before emitting a bright light. I shielded my eyes with my arm as I felt the light being warm and gentle. Once the light died down, I looked up and gaped in surprise._

_On the throne sat a man who looked way too young for being over thousands of years old. He seemed to be only early 30 or even younger? He had the palest skin ever, even paler than mine. His hair was long, but still looked manly for his facial appearance. His eyes were crimson and radiated ancient knowledge and the presence of a God. His clothes were oriental and in the same colors as his real body._

"**So…**", _Crimson Dragon spoke up with his Peter Cullen-like voice when the actor did Optimus Prime's voice._ "**You have arrived, Estelle.**"

_I curtsied for him, slightly lifting the hem of my dress before looking up at him._ "Crimson Dragon… May I ask why you brought me here? Is it about the Meklord Emperors?"

"**Indeed**", _Crimson Dragon nodded._ "**But before the explanations…**" _He turned his eyes at the dragons behind me._ "**May we please have some privacy? Only Star Eater shall remain.**"

_Light End Dragon, Orient Dragon and Ancient Fairy Dragon rumbled deeply before they flew up, leaving the temple. Star Eater remained by my side as I could hear him rumble lowly as if he was worried about me._

_I remained on the same place as I watched Crimson Dragon. He held a slight worry in his eyes, but why?_

"**Well then…**", _Crimson Dragon began._ "**I am sure the first question would be why you couldn't defeat the Meklord Emperor?**"

"Actually… No", _I replied honesty._ "From what I heard from the Ghost, his "Masters" know of my powers and made their Meklords immune."

"**That is half-correct**", _Crimson Dragon nodded, making me arch an eyebrow._ "**The Three Pure Nobles are aware of your powers because of **_**their**_** master.**"

"Master?" _I questioned before gasping._ "Are you talking about Aporia or maybe Z-one? Does this mean the Ark Cradle Arc will occur directly after the WRGP?" _I panicked because I didn't watch the third and last Arc of the season so I had no idea what did happen in the anime. Well, I did know only slight because I did read the main characters' biography._

_Crimson Dragon chuckled,_ "**A wise man once said; it is the best of not knowing the future or there will be consequences.**"

"Like breaking the chain of events", _I added, understanding what he meant._

"**Correct. But to give you an answer and not letting the question bother you; there is a master. Who it is shall be revealed in time.**"

"Okay… That's more than enough information for me."

"**Now… To the reason why I summoned you. You assume you lost against the Meklord Emperor because they are immune to your powers, which is partly correct as I mentioned before.**"

"But the other half is not correct?"

"**Do you remember the Dark Signers incident?**"

"It's hard to forget that."

"**There were several Dark Signers before Rex Goodwin became the last one and temporary bearer of my Mark, and it was only at the finale I allowed you getting involved because of certain reasons.**"

"It wasn't only because of the prophecy when I met my dark side?"

"**Your powers were not powerful enough to fight against the darkness so you needed time to practice on your skills, but not only that. Even if you had the training earlier you would not have been strong enough to face any of the Dark Signers. Do you remember whenever an Earthbound Immortal was summoned nearby your presence and you got weakened?**"

_I shivered by the memories._ "I felt being drained by the darkness and it was even worse with Earthbound Immortal Uru. I even coughed up blood when the spider was summoned."

"**It means that you would have not been able to fight the Earthbounds all alone. The part of the Signers' purpose is to eliminate the obstacles in the path and allow you to save your strength for the finale.**"

"It makes somehow sense… So my friends' purpose is to get rid of the smaller issues to let me handle the big stuff alone or with the support of the Signers'?"

"**Exactly. But this time… Yliaster is growing stronger than I expected. I call tell you the next two "Arcs" as you prefer to call it will end up differently than the cartoon version you watched in your dimension.**"

"You know about that?"

"**Of course. I did not only spend my time watching over this world but also yours. I got attracted to your planet when I sensed the next Crimson Star Priestess will be an "outsider" of this dimension which has never happened before. You are an exceptional human. You did also take the differences very well about that driving technology for Turbo Dueling.**"

_I nodded,_ "Yeah… I sometimes forget that I'm not an original and I don't have certain privileges. So when Trudge told me I cannot take the exam of Duel Runner license, it reminded me of my situation and understood the reason." _I grew quiet when I remembered the most important question._ "Crimson Dragon…"

"**Yes?**"

"When my purpose…in this dimension is fulfilled, will I get…send back to my dimension?"

_Crimson Dragon remained silent after the question. He glanced up at the sky, having a poker face. Not even his eyes could tell me what he was thinking about._

_Star Eater nuzzled his beak against my back, comforting me. I smiled at him and rubbed his beak in return assuring him I was fine._

_A warm breeze surrounded us as the wind grew stronger. A light shone above us as it formed into Majestic Dragon. Another light came from Crimson Dragon as the full Mark of the Crimson Dragon appeared on the floor of the temple, signaling the Yusei's Duel with the Ghost was coming to the end._

"**Go, Majestic Dragon**", _Crimson Dragon commanded._

_Without a reply Majestic Dragon flew up to the sky and left in another bright light. For some reason, I had a feeling my spirit was soon going to return to my body and I would wake up from the coma._

_Crimson Dragon turned back his eyes on me._ "**I am afraid I have to tell you the truth. Yes, you will get send back to your dimension as soon as your purpose is fulfilled. But… I fear you have a strong bond with all six Signers and they will get heartbroken when you leave.**"

"Wait a moment… Six Signers? Are you saying Leo will get his Mark soon? Isn't it too early for him?" _I asked._

"**Yes and no. He has followed his sister since she got her Mark and he is very loyal. He does deserve to get his Mark, but not just yet.**"

"If I'm going to have such a hard time with the Meklords… How can I become stronger to defeat them?"

"**Not only you hold special powers. The Signers have those powers as well, but they are unaware of it. You need to help them train to unlock the powers, so they can support you even more and be united with you spiritually. The strength you need is not only physical but also mental. Together with the Signers, you will be able to unlock the two remaining forms.**"

"I've got two other forms than the Warrior Form?"

"**Indeed, but you can only unlock them in the most critical times.**"

_Star Eater sniffed the air._ "**Mistress, the time is soon up.**"

"But I still got a couple of questions…", _I told him._

_Crimson Dragon stood up from his throne._ "**We will continue this conversation in your dreams, Priestess. But let me remind you…**" _I looked at the humanoid Crimson Dragon._ "**Never doubt yourself. You are stronger than you believe and allow your friends to help you. Do not face everything alone just because you want to protect them.**"

_I rubbed my arms as I looked down on the floor._ "It's…not easy to me. I… I am used to do everything alone and keep everyone safe… It's in my nature…"

_My Star Mark started glowing as everything around me turned blurry. I also felt sleepy, but tried to stay awake. The rumbles of Star Eater and the warmth light from the Crimson Dragon lullabied me to sleep, so I relaxed my body and closed my eyes._

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Yusei, Jack and Crow had returned to their place and met up with Leo, Luna and Akiza. They had also called over Trudge and Mina to show them photos of the Ghost that ended up being a robot.

"Well, from the looks of these pictures you took, I'd say what we have here is a Duelbot", Trudge said after looking at the photos.

"Sector Security has been experimenting with robotics", Mina explained for the Signers. "Duelbots are the very cutting edges of the experiments."

"So, how come this one got loose?" Jack asked.

"Don't know, but my hunch is that someone stole a prototype from Headquarters and then they must have somehow reprogrammed it", Trudge replied. "Now, the question is why. I only wish we could check the bot's memory chip."

"Already did that, Trudge", Yusei said as he flicked over the memory chip to the officer. "Only problem is it had nothing on it. My guess; the Ghost's systems were set to automatically erase if it lost in a Duel."

"You know it's a crime to temper with evidence?!" Trudge shouted with a warning voice.

"Give it a rest, would ya?" Crow snickered. "If not for us, Sector Security would still be trying to catch the Ghost."

"That's right! No one tries harder!" Trudge yelled, causing Mina to sigh at his immature behavior.

Leo looked at one of the photos with big eyes. "Wow, a Dueling robot… So awesome!"

"Leo, that thing did a lot of damage!" Luna scolded her brother.

"Oh, yeah…", Leo cold sweated.

"What I don't understand is all that weird stuff the Ghost was saying about Synchro Monsters", Crow said. "What's it mean?"

"I don't know, but the one thing that is certain is there's somebody out there for no good", Jack said.

"I agree, Jack", Yusei nodded. "And if that means our city is in danger we have to be ready to defend it!" Crow and Jack nodded in agreement.

Just then Mina's cell phone started ringing, getting everyone's attention. Mina fished up the cell phone from the pocket of her jacket before answering it. "Mina Simington."

The others remained quiet in the background as Mina spoke with the person in the cell phone.

"Really?!" Mina's eyes shone up by the good news. "Yes, we'll come at once." She ended the call and turned back to everyone with a happy expression. "Good news, guys. Estelle is out of danger now."

Crow let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank God!"

The twins and Akiza blinked confusedly. "What do you mean?" Leo asked.

"Did something happen to Estelle?" Luna asked worriedly.

Akiza's expression turned into slight irritated. "Have you guys forgotten telling us something about Estelle?"

Jack and Yusei cold sweated when they saw Akiza's anger develop. "Well…", Jack began.

"We'll explain everything while we drive to the hospital", Trudge stepped in, saving the boys.

"You better do that…", Akiza muttered crossing her arms as she followed Mina, Trudge and the twins to the Sector Security car.

Crow let out another sigh. "For a moment, I thought Akiza was going to bash us with her powers."

"No kidding", Jack agreed. "She looked like she was about to murder us."

"She's just worried and overprotective of Estelle", Yusei explained. "After all, Estelle was her first friend who accepted her."

"True", Jack nodded.

"Come on, you guys!" Crow called from outside of the garage, sitting on his Duel Runner. "Let's hurry to the hospital!"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

When the gang entered the hospital Mina got the number of the room where Estelle was put into. Everyone was quiet as they followed the blue-haired woman through the corridors. Other patients watched the group, recognizing several of the people, including Jack, Yusei, Akiza and Luna due to the Fortune Cup tournament several months ago.

Mina stopped in front of a door that had the number 314. "Here it is." She grabbed the handle and opened the door.

The room looked like the one Jack had been put into when he got injured after the Fortune Cup. On the bed, tucked under the covers, laid a sleeping Estelle. She had an IV attached on her left arm and an oxygen mask attached on her face.

The group gathered around the bed, the twins looking worried at the sleeping figure as Akiza stood behind them while holding their shoulders to comfort them. Yusei stood on the other side of the bed, watching the peaceful face of Estelle. His eyes wandered down on the covers that had a weak crimson light. It caught his attention. With an arching eyebrow, he pulled back the covers lightly to reveal Estelle's right arm with the Star Mark, seeing how said Mark was glowing.

"Her Mark is glowing?" Yusei mumbled out loud.

The others looked at the raven-haired man before casting their eyes on Estelle's glowing arm.

"Then… How come our Marks are not responding?" Luna questioned, looking at her covered arm.

"Maybe she's talking to the Crimson Dragon and doesn't want us to interfere", Jack suggested.

"Maybe the Crimson Dragon is also helping her to recover faster than a normal human being", Mina also added.

The glow of Estelle's Mark was slowly calming down as the others spoke around her. Once the Mark stopped shining, the young woman stirred and groaned, catching everyone's attention. They stayed quiet as Estelle slowly opened her eyes, having very blurry eyesight without her glasses. She did spot a few black spikes on the corner of her right eye that belonged to Yusei.

"Guys…?" Estelle mumbled weakly through the oxygen mask as she tried to sit up, but let out a huge gasp of pain, feeling her whole body aching.

Yusei quickly came to her aid and helped her sit up very slowly with a pillow against her back. "Easy, Estelle."

Akiza grabbed the glasses on the nightstand that was on the left side of the bed and held them out to the brown-haired woman. "Here you are."

Estelle nodded as she rested her body against the board of the bed. "Thank you…" She put on the glasses and then looked at each person that was at presence in the room.

"How are you feeling?" Crow asked.

Estelle reached up and removed the oxygen mask, feeling the broken ribs didn't hurt her anymore. "Sore, but I'll live. I guess you met the Ghost and found out his true identity?"

"Yep", Crow nodded before he turned angry. "But I can't believe you never warned us about that Meklord Emperor's ability! Do you have any idea how bad the situation was for Yusei?!"

"Crow, settle down", Akiza told him strictly. "You don't have to use that tone against her. She just woke up."

"Well, sorry, but I-", Crow was about to retort when Jack knocked his fist on the top of the carrot-haired boy's head.

"Calm down, Crow", Jack said. "If the events don't happen like she knows, this thing could end up badly instead of ending well. Give her a break."

"Wow… It's hard to believe that Jack Atlas, the once King of Games with a big ego, actually cares now about others", Leo whispered to Luna which caused her to giggle silently.

"Yeah, I get it. Sorry, Estelle. I was just worried, not only about when Yusei Turbo Dueled the Ghost but also about you", Crow apologized.

"It's okay, Crow", Estelle replied.

While the group kept talking a few more moments Estelle sunk into deep thoughts again.

*_Shall I tell them about my conversation with the Crimson Dragon and explain what will happen later on, or will he make an appearance in front of the Signers and explain instead of me? I always had a hard time explaining things for others because of my difficulties._*


	32. Valentine's Day

**This chapter is going to be slight shorter than usual since I'm currently out of ideas, so be prepared that it might get a bit boring and having a "bad" ending.**

**Estelle's point of view as usual.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 32: Valentine's Day**

I got released from the hospital the day after Yusei had his Duel with the Ghost. Blister had driven me back home to Martha who had been worried sick about me. She started lecturing me as soon as I had entered her house, but then embraced me with a few tears escaping her eyes. She had then ordered me to take it easy for the rest of the week and not even thinking about leaving the house. It meant I was grounded until the Valentine's Day.

The Crimson Dragon had used his powers to heal me faster than a normal human due to my Mark, but even so I was not allowed to leave the house. It didn't really bother me so much since I was busy making chocolate to everyone in the group.

I had been experimenting in the kitchen for days by coming up with different combinations of chocolate. I did get some help by Martha since she had the fingers for cooking. She had even told me what the favorite flavors were for Yusei, Jack and Crow.

Jack liked dark chocolate with mint filling which wasn't a surprise for me since I had a feeling he liked bitter things with slight sweet taste. It was obvious by all the instant coffee he liked to drink if he didn't get his "special" coffee.

Crow liked milk chocolate with toffee filling. Now that had been a surprise when I heard about Crow's taste. After all, the Blackwing Duelist liked to be different from the others and he was proud of it. I first thought he liked chocolate with coconut.

And Yusei? He liked milk chocolate with orange essence that happened to be my favorite as well. Martha told me what Yusei once said he had a sweet tooth for chocolate and loved the scent of orange because it had a relaxing effect on him whenever he was stressed or upset.

From what I had heard from the twins, Luna liked milk chocolate with strawberry filling and Leo liked dark chocolate with licorice flavor.

And Akiza… I actually had no idea, but I did remember her saying she liked white chocolate. So I would use white chocolate and add rose tea for the taste.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I was on my way to the young men's place, riding on White-Horned Dragon with a colorful cardboard bag in my hand with six small wrapped boxes that contained homemade chocolate.

I got finished with the last touches of my Valentine's Day gifts for my friends last evening. I had put the chocolates in small cardboard boxes that were wrapped up in different wrapping papers. Thanks to the different colored wrapping paper I could tell which box was for whom.

I had also given the failure chocolate for the children in the daycare so they could get something sweet to eat. Martha had allowed it if only the children went to brush their teeth after eating the sweets. Strict as ever, but it was for the children's own good. Speaking of the children, I started getting strange vibes from Belle…

White-Horned Dragon landed in the middle of the square of Fountain Plaza where Zora's clock shop Poppo Time was located. People in these parts had gotten used to see me riding on a dragon Duel Monster since I was visiting the young men several times a week. Of course, I didn't visit them every day. They were busy with their own lives and needed to use their free time to fix the engine prototype for their Duel Runners due to the WRGP.

I climbed off my dragon and rubbed his muzzle before he returned to my Deck that was in the pocket of my jacket. I walked to the doors leading to the garage and slowly opened them to meet the sound of happy voices. I looked inside and saw Akiza and the twins had come earlier from Duel Academy. Akiza was giving boxes to everyone that revealed to be chocolate. So I wasn't the only one who thought about making chocolate…

"Hello, guys", I greeted them while walking down the stairs.

"Hi, Estelle!" Leo greeted joyfully while eating a piece of Akiza's chocolate. The others followed with their own greetings.

Akiza turned to me with a bright smile. "Perfect timing!" I walked up to the group that stood around a table where open boxes with chocolates were placed on. "I've got chocolate for you too." She pulled up a wrapped box with red wrapping paper and golden starts decorated. "I hope you'll like it…" Were my eyes playing tricks on me or was Akiza blushing?

I pushed aside that thought and took the box with both my hands with a small smile. "Thank you, Aki." I put down the box to hold up my bag. "I've got chocolate for you all, including you girls."

"Seriously?" Jack arched an eyebrow.

I gave him a small glare. "Excuse me, blondie…" That struck a chord on Jack by the female nickname. "…But I come from the western culture. Both genders show affections to each other. It's like Valentine's Day and White Day on the same day."

"Really? I didn't know that", Crow said.

"Because you don't read books", I retorted nonchalantly, the comment bringing laughter from the others.

"Hey!" Crow blushed in embarrassment. "I do read books!"

"Only the books about birds", Yusei chuckled.

Crow growled with red cheeks and looked away with crossed arms.

I giggled at the sight before digging my free hand into the bag I was holding, pulling out the first box with pink wrapping paper and small yellow dots decorating. "Aha, ladies first!" I turned to Luna and held the box for her. "Luna."

Luna smiled shyly as she accepted the box. "Thank you…"

I pulled out the next box having cobalt blue wrapping paper with silver shooting stars. "Yusei."

Said man reached his arm across the table as I held the box for him. Our hands brushed lightly against each other, but the gentle sensation was over when he took the box. "Thanks."

Next box had orange wrapping paper with black stripes. "Crow."

Crow had got over the embarrassment and accepted the box with a big grin. "Thank you!"

"Akiza", I held a box wrapped in charcoal black wrapping paper with magenta petals decorated to her.

Akiza took the box with red cheeks. "Thank you, Estelle…"

There were only two boxes left and the next one I pulled out was for…

"Jack." His box had purple wrapping paper with flames decorated.

Jack accepted the box with a snort.

"And last but not the least…", I pulled out the last box that had silver wrapping paper with colorful magnets decorated. "Leonardo."

Leo took the box with a pouty face. "Why did I get to be the last one? No fair!"

I chuckled at his comment. "Look at the situation like this. You and your sister shared both first and last place together."

Leo looked at his sister, sharing a glance before he shrugged. "Okay then…"

Crow was the first one who opened my gift and threw a piece of chocolate in his mouth. He chewed on the chocolate before his eyes literally shone. "Toffee filling! It's my favorite!"

The others started eating of my chocolate, praising me for how good it was. I blushed in slight embarrassment, but my heart was pounding by happiness. I reached for the box I got from Akiza and carefully unwrapped the wrapping paper. Once it was done, I opened the box and met the sight with milk chocolate shaped as stars. I picked up one piece and put it in my mouth. I chewed on the chocolate tasting sea salt in the soft chocolate.

We were enjoying the chocolate until we heard the doors open. We looked up and spotted Mina holding three big bags; two in left hand and one in right hand.

"Hello, everyone", Mina greeted as she slowly walked down the stairs with the heavy bags.

"Hi, Mina", Luna greeted.

"What'd you got there?" Crow wondered.

Mina placed down the bags on the floor, moaning in relief as she stretched her arms. "I… Jack used to get gifts from fangirls, especially on Valentine's Day when he was still the King of Games…"

"He still is…", I mumbled to myself.

"…But he's still popular with the girls, so they've been sending their chocolates to Sector Security so we can then send the gifts to him", Mina finished.

Jack threw a nonchalant glance at the bags. "Great… More chocolate…"

"Well, well, look who's still popular", Crow grinned while placing an elbow on Jack's shoulder.

That comment caused the twins and Akiza to laugh heart-fully and Yusei to silently chuckle. I just remained silent, but a small smile reached my lips.

"Well, Jack is not the only one who's got fans…", Mina spoke, causing us to look confusedly at her.

"Come again?" Akiza arched an eyebrow.

Mina walked up the stairs and out to then return with two other bags filled with wrapped gifts. She walked straight up to me with the bags. "You've also got quite a group of fans yourself, Estelle."

I blinked in pure shock before glancing down at the bags. "Seriously?" I took the bags from Mina. "Even though I made an official announcement that I declined the Queen of Games title?"

"I guess so…", Mina said with an apologizing expression. "I think some of your fans also sent jewelries-"

"Jewelries?" I said with a monotone voice, causing Mina to stop talking. "Mina, how much time do you have before you have to head back to the office?"

"Ten minutes…", Mina replied.

"Could you wait while I sort the gifts?" I asked before turning to the table.

I moved aside the chocolate boxes and wrapping papers before placing some of the presents in one of the bags onto the table. I called out Decoy Dragon who helped me separate the chocolate and jewelries by sniffing the presents.

The others were quite confused to see me sort the gifts. They even whispered to each other wondering what I was really doing, but I ignored them.

In less than five minutes, I handed one of the bags to Mina that was filled with boxes that contained jewelries. "If you have the addresses to those who sent the jewelries, could you please send them back? If you don't have the addresses, then keep the jewelries."

"Say what?!" Crow and Leo exclaimed in shock.

Mina was quite surprised herself that I declined the jewelries. "Uh… Sure…" She took the bag. "But why are you sending them back?"

"I don't accept such expensive gifts from strangers even if I'm a common famous woman", I replied. "It's another thing getting jewelries from family or friends, but it's a big no when it comes to strangers. I only accept chocolate and cards, that's all."

"Okay then…", Mina said hesitantly. "If you say so…"

Once Mina left, Crow and Leo bombarded me with thousands of questions.

"Why did you send back the jewelries like that?!"

"You're a woman! Shouldn't women be overjoyed by getting so many bling-bling?"

"Do you even have any feminine sides?"

I ignored the questions as I picked up a couple of cards my fans had sent me. "Decoy Dragon."

Decoy Dragon appeared again with a purr before attacking Crow, covering the man's face with his stomach. Crow yelped against the dragon's belly as he struggled to get the dragon off him. The others laughed at the ruckus as I smiled to myself enjoying the "torture" I gave to the carrot-head. When it was enough, I snapped my fingers signaling to Decoy Dragon to stop torturing Crow.

Decoy Dragon purred before jumping off Crow's face. He flew over to me and purred as I rubbed his head.

Crow groaned in relief that the torture had stopped. "What the heck was that for this time, Estelle?"

"I didn't know how to stop your rambling", I replied nonchalantly, causing everyone to laugh out loud.

"Seriously?" Crow asked with red cheeks. "You could have just answered my questions and not sending the baby dragon to attack me."

"I'm actually curious myself why you declined the jewelries", Yusei added.

I sighed, knowing I couldn't get out of this mess. "It's simple", I began while placing down the Valentine's Day cards on the table. "I'm not one of those women who are asking for expensive gifts. For me, jewelries are valuable gifts from my family or friends that mean something special." I looked at my friends who had understandable expressions, except Leo and Crow. "You get it now?"

"I do", Akiza nodded before rubbing the necklace she had. "This necklace is actually an old birthday present I got from…Sayer when I still lived in the Arcadia Movement. It was my first gift from another man who wasn't family by blood to me."

"I still don't get it…", Leo mumbled confusedly.

"You and me both, little guy", Crow sighed.

Soon it was time for us to return to our daily routine. Akiza, Leo and Luna left earlier with their chocolate gifts while I remained a couple of minutes longer before I decided to follow their example. I said bye to the men and took the bag with chocolates before heading to the door. Once I opened it and stepped out I spotted a familiar figure to the left. I smirked mischievously before shouting down to a certain blonde man. "Jack! You got a visitor!"

"Me? A visitor?" Jack mumbled annoyingly before heading up.

"Probably another fan of his…", Crow whispered with a teasing voice to Yusei who chuckled at the comment.

The figure I saw was Carly who was holding a red wrapped gift with an orange ribbon. She looked extremely nervous and was about to run away, but I grabbed her arm in time to keep her in place.

"E-Estelle, w-what are you doing?!" Carly half-whispered and half-yelled as she struggled against my grip.

"You're here because you want to give Jack chocolate, right?" I asked her which I received a nod at. "Then don't chicken out. Besides…" I looked back into the garage and saw Jack was only five meters from us. "…Here he comes."

Carly yelped loudly before I turned us around, still holding her shoulders, and pushed her forward, causing her to land onto Jack's chest just as he stepped outside. Jack was caught off guard, but composed himself as he instinctually grabbed Carly's shoulders. I spotted a blush crawl onto the man's face as Carly blushed ten times harder than him. I silently wished Carly good luck before I turned around a corner of the clock shop building to give the "couple" some space.


	33. A Lesson to Learn – Part 1

**An OC of a really good friend of mine who I consider as a sister will show up in this chapter. This chapter is going to get split up as you can see on the title below.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 33: A Lesson to Learn – Part 1**

It had been more than a week since the ambush of the Ghost and my conversation with the Crimson Dragon about the Signers having "magical" powers like me. And I still haven't told the others yet. I just couldn't find the courage to tell them that I needed more help from them to become stronger in order to defeat the Meklord Emperors. But many questions remained about the current circumstances. Why did I even become a target for the Meklords anyway? How did the Three Pure Nobles even know about me? What was my true purpose in this dimension? It felt like things had been messed up because of my existence in the dimension.

I laid on my bed looking at the white ceiling while having a debate with myself. Should I go and tell Yusei, Jack and Crow first before telling the twins and Akiza, or keep it as a secret? I didn't want to depend too much on my friends and look selfish in other's eyes.

"_**You have to tell them**_", Galaxy Serpent appeared in my eyesight. "_**They will understand you. You have given them so much. Kindness, comfort, wise words and beyond.**_"

I thought for a moment about what the Tuner Monster just told me. After all these months with the group, I had grown fond of them and viewed them as my precious friends. They had also showed me how much they liked me, like Akiza when I comforted her during the Dark Signer Arc, Jack when Carly and I gave him a wise speech about becoming his true self and not hide behind a character that wasn't him, the twins who viewed me as a big sister when I lived with them, Crow who I considered as a little brother and having a "sibling" relationship, and Yusei…

My right hand went to my necklace, playing with the silver feathers. I felt like we somehow matched each other. We had the same personality and character. We were both quiet persons, but smart and strong, selfless, trying to keep the big problems for ourselves and not let others become involved and so on. My heart throbbed faster than usual when I thought about Yusei and his smiles. At the beginning of my quest, I had seen Yusei as a crush that slowly turned into a sibling love, but now when he started showing small signs of affections towards me… My crush ended and became true love. Still, I didn't want to confess since I would leave this dimension as soon as my mission was over.

I let out a deep sigh before sitting up, making my decision. I was going to tell the young men first before telling the twins and Akiza.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I let White-Horned Dragon take a break from being my "cab" and allowed Masked Dragon to fly me to Fountain Plaza. He had been excited to see more of the world so it took a few more minutes than usual to get to the destination since he kept taking a few stops here and there to look around.

Once we landed in the plaza, Masked Dragon returned to his card and I headed to the garage. I opened the door slowly and peeked inside. Yusei, Crow and Jack were all home, preparing a new test drive with the experiment Duel Runner. I knocked on the door, getting their attention. "Excuse me, boys."

"Hey, Estelle! What's up?" Crow smirked.

I held back a nervous grimace as I walked down the stairs to reach the trio. "There's…something I need to tell you. It's very important."

The three young men blinked simultaneously in confusion. I looked down nervously while playing with my fingers. "I… I might end up telling things wrong, but I need you to hear me out."

"Hey, calm down, Estelle", Crow walked up to me and put an arm around my shoulders. "We'll listen to you from the beginning to the end."

"I guess it's so important that you're so getting nervous about it", Jack frowned, acting like his old self.

"Can it, Jack", Yusei told him with a warning voice. "You do remember Estelle is different from the rest of us, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know that", Jack retorted.

We gathered in the small living room area. Jack was sitting on an armchair while the rest of us sat on the couch, me in the middle with Yusei to my left and Crow to my right.

I tried to calm myself down mentally which kind of helped before I started explaining. "While I was in the coma-state after the ambush with the Ghost, I met the Crimson Dragon as I told you before. But that meeting was different from the last ones I had with him." I took a second to try finding the next words. "He told me the Meklord Emperors are aware of my powers so they made their machine Monsters immune to my current powers. But he said I can become stronger than I am now…by uniting our spirits and powers together."

"Uniting our spirits and powers?" Jack mumbled.

"What does that mean?" Crow wondered.

"It means… All of you Signers hold special powers as I have", I replied. "Like summoning a sword or using other magic spells-"

"Back a minute!" Crow interrupted me. "Did you say we hold magical powers like you do when you're in your Warrior Form?!"

I nodded slowly. "Yes…"

"That's awesome!" Crow jumped up from the couch. "Oh, yeah, we get to be superheroes!"

Yusei, Jack and I sweat dropped at the carrot-head's victory dance. "Did Leo rub off his superhero-mania?" I asked.

"Apparently…", Yusei sighed.

"But, Crow…", I told said young man. "You guys have those powers inside you, but you need help to unlock them."

Crow froze on his spot before he sighed sadly. "Alright then…"

"But what do you mean by uniting our spirits?" Jack asked.

"How can I explain this…", I started nervously. "Crimson Dragon said something about the Dark Signer incident. He said your mission as Signers was to defeat the Dark Signers that were in the way before it was my turn to defeat the _leader_ AKA Rex Goodwin. But now when the Meklords are stronger than predicted, my powers must become stronger by you Signers uniting with me not only physically but also mentally. He did mention something that if you guys lend me your powers I'll be able to unlock two remaining forms of mine."

"Two more forms?" Yusei wondered.

I shrugged, "I don't know what he meant by that, but I guess I have to wait and see what forms he was talking about."

"So let me get this straight. In order for you to become stronger, the Signers meaning us must unlock _our_ special powers so we can lend them to you so you can defeat the new threat", Jack made a summarize of my explanation. "Did I get it right?"

"Yes…", I nodded before looking down on my lap. "At first, I wanted to handle things alone because I didn't want to put you all in danger…" I intertwined my hands in a firm grip. "I'm sorry for asking so much from you guys, but… I'm afraid I have to be a bit selfish about the matter…"

A gloved hand was placed on my intertwined hands. I looked up to the left to see Yusei look at me with warm eyes.

"You're not being selfish just because you're asking for a favor", he said. "Besides, we've been through the Dark Signers and survived. We wouldn't let you go and face the Meklords all alone. We're on this together."

"Yeah", Jack nodded with his arms crossed. "If you dared taking on the Meklords alone, you would definitely get a hot lecture from me."

"You're like our big sis, Estelle", Crow gave me a thumbs up with a grin. "If you need our help, we'll help you out as much as we can!"

I felt a huge weight float up from my shoulders when I saw the men were all okay with my little request of getting help. I should have more faith in them, but due to my childhood with bullying and stuff it made me grow insecure.

"Thank you, guys…", I smiled with a small tear in my right eye. "Please do not tell the twins or Akiza yet. I'll do it when it's time." The boys nodded in agreement.

The four of us went to work on the engine prototype. Jack had already been dressed in his Turbo outfit so he was once again riding on the experiment Duel Runner. Yusei was monitoring the Duel Runner on his laptop as Crow and I stood aside observing the test drive. But I quickly moved aside, knowing the Duel Runner was going to let out some smoke due to a small explosion with the cards of Yusei's Deck flying around. That happened like ten seconds after I moved to a safer place.

The smoke wasn't as thick as last time, but still smelled like diesel making us all cough and cover our noses and mouths. Only five seconds after the explosion, Zora slammed open the doors. How fast could she walk in her age? That was one big mystery.

"Quiet down!" Zora yelled at us. "I told you! Between the hours of two and five, my soap opera is on and I can't hear it when you're in here making a ruckus!"

Crow and Jack teased Zora about her favorite show since she did tell the boys bits of the story, but that made the woman even more threatening. Thankfully, Yusei and I were able to calm her down by saying small apology words. Before Zora left, she did threaten Jack and Crow once again to toss them out on the streets if they didn't behave.

"Well, she's in a good mood today", Jack was the first one to speak up after Zora closed the door.

"Oh, Yusei~! You were just like my sweet original! How I wish I had a daughter like you, Estelle~!" Crow mocked, pretending to be Zora by forming his fingers into glasses on his face.

"Knock it out, Crow", I giggled.

"Come on, guys, cut Zora some slack", Yusei said. "She _is_ letting us crash here for free."

"Yeah, yeah", Crow said. "Speaking of which…" He looked around in the garage, the cards spread all around the place. "…I guess somebody has to clean up this mess." He turned his eyes at me.

I caught his eyes before I crossed my arms. "I'm not a maid, Crow. Besides, this is _your_ place so you should clean it up instead."

Before the carrot-head could retort, the doors were slammed open once again, but this time it was the twins with their friends coming over. However, there was one girl I didn't recognize from the show. She had long pink hair, magenta eyes and fair skin. She was as tall as Luna and was wearing the girl school uniform of the Duel Academy.

"Yusei!" Leo greeted.

"We brought some friends over", Luna said as the group of children rushed down the stairs.

"Perfect!" Crow smiled.

"Hey, guys", Yusei greeted.

"You're just in time!" Crow added.

"Be careful, cards are spread over on the floor", I warned the children.

"Watch where you're running!" Jack told the children.

"Hey, didn't you guys just clean up yesterday?" Leo asked when he saw the mess.

"What happened? Did something blow up again?" Luna asked.

"Yeah, sorta", Yusei replied.

"There's a problem with the sub-generator's EPS output", Crow explained.

"Sweet! A Duel Runner!" the bigger boy named Bob exclaimed as he, Dexter and the dark-skinned girl with blonde hair named Patty gathered around the simple Duel Runner. "Check it out!"

"I've never been so close to one", Patty said.

"Can I touch it?" Dexter asked.

"No way, this is not some little toy", Jack replied with a slight harsh voice.

"Please take me out for a spin!" Bob pleaded.

"And then me!" Patty said enthusiastically.

"If I won't let you touch it, why would I ever do that?" Jack grumbled.

"Jack, don't be so strict", I told him. "Weren't you excited too when you saw a real Duel Runner for the first time when you were a child?"

"That's a totally different thing", Jack retorted.

"Here's the deal; the one who picks up the most cards gets to go for a ride first", Crow told the children.

"Really?!" Dexter, Bob and Patty's eyes shone brightly by the deal.

"I'm not taking anyone for a ride! They're just children!" Jack retorted, not liking the idea.

"Children are the future", Crow smiled, ignoring Jack's complains. "What're you guys waitin' for? Hop to it!"

The children, including Leo and Luna, started picking up the cards as Leo told Yusei about the failure in the Duel class. However, the girl with pink hair walked up to me while acting a bit shy. I looked down at her when I realized she was close to me.

"Hi, Estelle…", the girl spoke up.

"Hello, little one", I smiled at the girl. "What's your name?"

"It's Laila Noble", the girl replied. "I've wanted to meet you since you won the Fortune Cup…"

"Great, another fan of Estelle…", I heard Jack mutter in the background.

I ignored him, but a new figure caught my attention by the corner of my eyes. I looked up by the doors to spot the boy Sly stand there, silently watching us. My action got the other's attention too, everyone looking up from the floor.

"Sly!" Luna exclaimed.

"I thought you were all off being cool", Leo told the lone wolf boy with a teasing tone.

Sly was about to go out when Luna rushed after him to pull him towards us. "This is Sly", Luna introduced the boy for us. "He's in my Trap card class. He's a great Duelist." I swear I spotted some pink shade on Sly's cheeks.

"Good to meet you", Yusei greeted the boy.

Sly shrugged out his arm from Luna's grip before he glanced at all of us, but his eyes locked with mine. He put his hands on his hips, having a not so impressed expression. "So you're the great Estelle Malmström. You don't seem that great to me."

"That's pretty harsh…", Laila mumbled.

I chuckled at Sly's silly act, knowing he wasn't exactly being a mean person. He was just the lone wolf type that I knew a lot about. "That's really cute of you", I smiled gently at him, catching him off guard.

"Cute?!" Leo exclaimed in surprise.

"Why is everybody standing around flapping their mouths?!" Crow suddenly yelled. "Less yapping more picking up!" The children, including Luna, Laila and Sly went back to pick up the cards.

"Geez, no need to use such big letters, Crow", I told him. "We're not deaf."

"Well, excuse me for wanting to clean up the place", Crow retorted.

I noticed the Blackwing Duelist had been acting more restless and impatient lately. Was he feeling _that_ desperate to get ready for the WRGP that he started snapping at people?

I caught the sight of Sly picking up the card of Stardust Dragon, having a slight greedy sparkle in his eyes. Luckily, Yusei asked for Stardust Dragon and Sly went immediately to nice guy mode and gave him said card. I saw how Sly grunted against his teeth thinking he was the rightful owner of Stardust Dragon.

I knelt down next to Sly and rubbed his head messing with his hair. "Hey!" Sly yelped, trying to catch my hand to stop messing with him.

I removed my hand while smiling a little as Sly glanced at me with a confused expression. "I know you like being alone, Sly… But I also know that deep inside your heart you want to get close to people you can call them your friends." Sly looked at me with an expression that said "What-the-hell?".

"Estelle can read people quite easy", Luna explained when she saw Sly's expression.

"I used to be a lone wolf myself, so I've got experience", I added.

Sly frowned, ignoring me as he picked up the cards. He was a stubborn boy for sure.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Next day I was busy in the kitchen making some scones. I had just taken out the last sheet of newly-baked scones when my cell phone started ringing. I forgot to mention something about the cell phone. It wasn't my old dimension one. It was a cell phone of this dimension that looked like a smartphone. Mina had bought it for me and added some money on the cell phone so I could make calls for emergencies or call my friends. I rarely used it so I didn't use money wastefully, but if I needed more cash on the smartphone, I gave Mina some of my pocket money so she could add it on the smartphone account.

I placed the cooking sheet on the top of the stove and removed the oven gloves before picking up the singing smartphone from the back pocket of my jeans.

**YUSEI**

Huh… It wasn't so often Yusei called me just like that. I answered the call and put the smartphone against my right ear. "Hello?"

"_Estelle? It's Yusei._"

"Hi, Yusei. What's up?"

"_Nothing special… Just adjusting the experiment Duel Runner._"

"Trying to fix the errors, I presume?"

"_Yeah… Jack gave me quite a lashing after you and the kids left yesterday._"

"But what happened yesterday is nothing compared to the huge explosion last time. He shouldn't have thrown profanities on you."

"_Don't worry, I'm used to it. He is my brother, whether I like it or not._" There was a small tone of mirth in his voice.

I giggled at the comment. "He's at least better than my brother… Anyway, why did you call me? Just to throw complains about Jack on me?"

"_Oh… Ehh… No…_" Yusei sounded a bit nervous. "_I was wondering if you could come over and help me with the engine prototype. Crow and Jack are out on their jobs and I could really use a couple of extra hands._"

"Sure. I just finished baking, so I'll be over there in ten minutes."

"_Thanks, Estelle. See you soon then._"

I cancelled the call and removed the apron before folding it neatly. I turned back to the stove and moved the scones on a big plate where the rest of the scones were cooling. While I let them cool off, I walked upstairs to my room to fetch my jacket and Duel Disk. I had a feeling that today would be the day when that Vice-Chancellor Rudolph Heitmann was going to expel the twins' class at the Duel Academy. I had more than enough experience about different situations at school, so if the possibility would show up I would Duel Heitmann instead of Yusei.

With my jacket on and the Duel Disk strapped onto my left arm, I walked back to the kitchen. I pulled out a small plastic bag from a drawer and put in some scones for Yusei and his "brothers" to eat as snacks or dinner. I had just tied the bag when I heard Martha speak up behind me. "You're going out?" I turned around and spotted her standing by the doorway.

"Yeah", I nodded. "Yusei called and asked me to come over and help him with the engine prototype saying he could use a pair of extra hands."

Martha smiled slightly wider and her eyes shone with a hint of curiosity. "Hm… Did he now?"

I nodded as I headed to the doorway. "Yeah. I'm bringing some scones to him and the other two men."

Martha moved aside to let me step out to the hallway. "Estelle." I stopped on my tracks and looked over my shoulder. "What do you think about Yusei?"

I felt my cheeks burn by the question. I looked away shyly, feeling my hands getting sweaty. "I… I like him…"

"More than a brother as you mentioned before?" Martha asked.

I rubbed my free hand against my other arm while looking down. "Yes…" I heard Martha take a breath to continue talking, but I interrupted her. "But I do not plan on confessing."

"Why not?" Martha sounded confused.

I sighed and turned around to face her with a slight sad expression. "Because one day… I will leave this dimension." I saw a shocked expression grow on Martha's face. "The Crimson Dragon told me himself. Once my mission here is complete, I will go back to where I belong." I looked down on the floor again as a stab-feeling went through my heart. "I don't want to confess to Yusei and become his girlfriend only to leave him… He doesn't deserve that…" My free hand went up to my necklace. "He lost his biological parents and still blames himself for his father for causing Zero Reverse… He does not deserve more pressure or a bigger broken heart than it might already be…"

Martha stepped up to me with a gentle expression as she placed a hand on my left shoulder. "I understand." A small smile grew on her lips. "You're truly one of a kind. Yusei would have been blessed to have you if it weren't for the circumstances." Her eyes suddenly turned serious. "But I need to ask you. Do you want to go back to your dimension?"

"I don't have a choi-"

"It's not about choice, Estelle! It's about what _you_ want."

I got caught off guard by Martha's suddenly outburst, but it made me think. What did I want? Did I want to go back to my dimension and my parents, or did I want to stay here with my friends?

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Laila Noble belongs to **_**Springflowerangel**_**.**


	34. A Lesson to Learn – Part 2

**BIG NEWS!**** I have a poll on my Profile about when Leo shall get his Mark of the Dragon. As it was mentioned a couple of chapters ago, he'll get one before the WRGP. The poll will close on 1st January next year, meaning after New Year's.**

**There will some fluff between Yusei and Estelle at the beginning of the chapter. But you might see an aggressive Estelle later in the chapter because of "today's" villain. And there will be a special point of view. Look forward to it, and please enjoy.**

**Oh, and by the way; I'll skip several of Rudolph Heitmann's dialog since it was really hard to understand what he was saying since he spoke so fast.**

**And another thing; I'll make another part of this chapter so there will be totally three chapters of "A Lesson to Learn", the third part having the Duel.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 34: A Lesson to Learn – Part 2**

I sat on Masked Dragon's back as he flew to New Domino City. I was holding onto him while thinking about Martha's question.

***FLASHBACK***

_Martha moved aside to let me step out to the hallway. "Estelle." I stopped on my tracks and looked over my shoulder. "What do you think about Yusei?"_

_I felt my cheeks burn by the question. I looked away shyly, feeling my hands getting sweaty. "I… I like him…"_

_"More than a brother as you mentioned before?" Martha asked._

_I rubbed my free hand against my other arm while looking down. "Yes…" I heard Martha take a breath to continue talking, but I interrupted her. "But I do not plan on confessing."_

_"Why not?" Martha sounded confused._

_I sighed and turned around to face her with a slight sad expression. "Because one day… I will leave this dimension." I saw a shocked expression grow on Martha's face. "The Crimson Dragon told me himself. Once my mission here is complete, I will go back to where I belong." I looked down on the floor again as a stab-feeling went through my heart. "I don't want to confess to Yusei and become his girlfriend only to leave him… He doesn't deserve that…" My free hand went up to my necklace. "He lost his biological parents and still blames himself for his father for causing Zero Reverse… He does not deserve more pressure or a bigger broken heart than it might already be…"_

_Martha stepped up to me with a gentle expression as she placed a hand on my left shoulder. "I understand." A small smile grew on her lips. "You're truly one of a kind. Yusei would have been blessed to have you if it weren't for the circumstances." Her eyes suddenly turned serious. "But I need to ask you. Do you want to go back to your dimension?"_

_"I don't have a choi-"_

_"It's not about choice, Estelle! It's about what _you_ want."_

***END OF FLASHBACK***

I didn't exactly have a choice. The Crimson Dragon didn't mention anything about letting me stay in this dimension. He said it crystal clear that I would return to my dimension. But… After I had been here for more than six months and getting friends… My heart felt like this was my home now, but at the same time I felt bad for leaving my parents behind…especially my mother who I stood close to.

I sighed loudly while feeling a headache coming as I kept thinking about this. I let go of the question and decided to focus on the present. If I ever had a chance to speak with the Crimson Dragon again, I would ask him the questions I didn't get to say last time.

Masked Dragon landed outside of the clock shop and lowered down on his limbs to let me jump off him. I turned to him and rubbed his face as thank you before he returned to his card in my Deck. I turned around to face the door to the garage. I took a deep breath and exhaled through my nose to clean up the thoughts in my head. Once I felt ready, I grabbed the handle of the door and pushed it open. I turned my head to the left seeing Yusei working on the experiment Duel Runner.

I walked down the stairs before I spoke up. "Yusei?"

Yusei looked up from the Duel Runner, greeting me with a smile. "Hey, Estelle. I'm glad you could come and help me."

"Well, I can't deny a friend's need of help", I smiled as I held up the bag with scones. "I brought some scones for you and the guys."

"Thanks. You can put the bag on the desk", Yusei nodded to his working desk where his laptop was placed.

I nodded as I placed the bag with scones with my Duel Disk. I fished up my black ribbon from the pocket of my jacket and tied up my hair into a low ponytail. I took off my red jacket and pulled up the sleeves of my black top revealing my skinny arms.

"So, where do I start?" I asked.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I helped Yusei for the next half of hour by giving him the right tools (after a few descriptions) and helping him place the plates onto the Duel Runner so he could mount them with screws and bolts. He told me a couple of things about different types of components in a Duel Runner and how they worked.

When I handed him a screwdriver I saw his eyes landing on my arms. I tilted my head in confusion, wondering why he looked at my arms, but it made my heart beat faster.

Yusei grabbed the screwdriver out of my hand before gently taking the wrist of my right hand. I blushed as my heart throbbed harder in my chest by the close contact. "You're so thin…", he mumbled before looking up at me with a straight face. "Are you eating properly?"

I nodded slowly, suddenly feeling shy. "Y-Yeah, I do… But I've always been thin." I felt his hand slowly move, the grip heading to my hand. "But ever since I unlocked my Warrior Form… I've been exercising in order to become stronger. I've got some of my muscles back since I used to have a very inactive life back in my dimension." I smiled lightly. "Coming to this dimension…has given me a lot." It sounded like I had decided about my choice, but I was still uncertain about it.

Yusei copied my smile as he squeezed my hand gently. "I'm…happy to hear that."

I made a small noise with my smile still on my lips until I felt a bit awkward about the current situation. "Eh, Yusei... Can I have my hand back?"

"Hm?" Yusei glanced down on our now intertwined hands and gasped loudly before releasing my hand, looking away with red cheeks. "Sorry…"

I was in the same pose at Yusei, looking at the other direction to hide my own warm cheeks. "I-It's okay…"

It was really, _REALLY_ awkward between the two of us. I was feeling really nervous because I had never been this close to a man, even it was only by hands and with a man I loved. Yes… Yusei was now a man than a young man to me.

We sat on the floor in an awkward silence between us for a couple of minutes before I decided to end it. "Shall we continue with the engine?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, yes…", Yusei nodded.

We stood up and continued with the work for another fifteen minutes. I held up a plate for Yusei to mount which made me bent over the Duel Runner to hold it on comfortably, even if the pose felt weird to me.

I heard the door open up behind me as heavy footsteps echoed in the garage, followed by a man's voice. "Excuse me, but… Oh, I'm sorry! I must have come to the wrong place."

"Depends on who you're looking for, Sir", I replied over my shoulder.

The man looked to be around 50 years old with brown hair that had a tone of slight grey color, including his mustache. He was wearing a casual suit, looking like a principal from the Duel Academy… Yeah, I knew he was the Chancellor of said academy, but I kept my mouth shut.

Once Yusei had mounted on the last bolt, I could stand up properly and turn to the stairs. Yusei followed my example and looked up from the Duel Runner while remaining on his knees.

"I was hoping I might find Yusei Fudo", the man said.

"You found him. What do you need?" Yusei asked.

"I… Ah…", the man started nervously while rubbing the back of his head. "I heard you were good at fixing things and I've got something that needs adjusting."

"Mm-hm", Yusei replied, telling the man to continue explaining.

"It's got a few screws loose, it's not reliable, and it talks too much at faculty meetings", the man described the "problem".

"It talks too much? What kind of machine are we talking about here?" Yusei asked.

"It's a…a pesky motor called The Rudolph Heitmann", the man replied.

"Never heard of it", Yusei turned to me. "Do you know, Estelle?"

I shrugged, "It sounds familiar…"

While Yusei asked the man for details, I went to a quick visit in the bathroom to wash my dirty hands. I let them air-dry since I didn't want to touch the three men's towels for certain reasons. I walked back to the garage to see Yusei preparing a toolbox and his Duel Runner being uncovered.

"You're leaving already?" I asked, trying to sound surprised.

"Yeah", Yusei nodded while going through the toolbox. "The man told me if I fixed the pesky motor sooner the better. He told me The Rudolph Heitmann can be found in a classroom at the Duel Academy." He nodded to himself to confirm he had every tool he needed before turning to me. "You think you can come with me? Since you seem to kinda know what The Rudolph Heitmann could be, it would make it a whole lot easier for me."

"Sure, I'll come along", I nodded.

I pulled down the sleeves of my shirt before putting on my jacket. I pulled out my hair of the low ponytail and put the ribbon in the pocket of the jacket. While Yusei rolled out his Duel Runner, I strapped on my Duel Disk on my left arm making sure it wasn't too loose.

I knew that Yusei was the one who faced Rudolph Heitmann in the anime, but I had lots of experience of arrogant and selfish teachers from my time at school, so if I could find an opportunity to strike… I would gladly take over the Duel.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Laila's POV**

"You're expelling our whole class?!" Patty exclaimed angrily.

I couldn't believe it! Vice-Chancellor Rudolph Heitmann wanted to expel our whole class and he didn't explain why. My classmates yelled at him, trying to make him spit out why he wanted to expel every one of us!

"What's up with that, Heitmann?! What did we do wrong?" Bob demanded.

I didn't exactly understand what Heitmann was saying, but in short words he was disappointed at us for not reaching to the exceptions that he expected from us. He meant we were very bad Duelists who didn't deserve to stay in the Duel Academy.

Luckily, our teacher Ms. Bartlet tried protecting us by saying we had lots of potential, but Heitmann threatened her to get fired for not doing a good job.

Luna stood up to defend our teacher. "It's not Ms. Bartlet. We just haven't been giving all our best."

Leo, her twin and my secret crush, followed her to add support. "But give us some little more time and let us prove to you. We're Duelists!"

"You had plenty to time to prove yourself and you failed, especially _you_!" Heitmann turned the words straight at Leo. "You're at the bottom of the bottom of the _bottom_, Leo!" Leo grunted at the harsh words. "And I'll tell you something else-"

The door slid open with a loud bang that caught our attention. We saw Akiza standing by the doorway, having a determined expression as Leo and Luna mumbled out her name. I knew the twins were close to her and Akiza was famous in the Duel Academy for her great Dueling skills. I did hear some bad rumors about her before, but they were now the remaining dust of the past.

"You can't expel this class, Heitmann!" Akiza said without raising her voice as she walked over to the cathedral where Heitmann stood.

"What are you talking about, Akiza? I would think one student with discipline and attitude such as yourself would certainly adore my decision to sanitize these parasites from our ranks!" Heitmann snorted.

"How can you call yourself a teacher when you're willing to give up on the kids you're supposed to be teaching?" Akiza retorted with an angry voice.

"Uh-oh…", I heard Luna gasp in front of me.

"Uh-oh's right. If Akiza gets too worked up, this whole place will come crashing down…", Leo added.

"Excuse us."

We heard a new voice that sounded so familiar to me. We turned to the doors once again to spot Estelle and Yusei! My classmates couldn't believe they were here and started wondering if they were the real Estelle and Yusei.

"Well, ring my bell and sing me a di-di! It's the Fortune Cup Champion and the Runner-up Estelle Malmström and Yusei Fudo", Heitmann confirmed it with his annoying voice.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

As soon as our names were spoken out by Rudolph Heitmann, the whole class exclaimed in loud and happy cheering. I wasn't so surprised that Akiza was here as well. I gave her a nod which she replied on with a nod.

"What is it that brings you two to our schooling faculty called Duel Academy?" Heitmann asked us.

"We came here to do some repair work", Yusei replied.

Heitmann exclaimed dramatically in shock. "Come again?!"

"I was told there is something malfunctioning in this classroom and that I should fix it if I could", Yusei explained.

"I see", Heitmann said. "Well, I hope you are deluding to these brats of pitiful googols here before me." He gestured at the big classroom. "I'm afraid this sorry bunch of students is beyond repair!"

"That's not true!" Ms. Bartlet defended her class. "This class is full of potential!"

Akiza turned back to Heitmann. "You know what, if you seriously want to kick out this entire class because you don't think they're good enough… Then whatever, but if they go then I go with them!" I smiled at Akiza, knowing how loyal she could be.

I couldn't get what Heitmann said since he had a very bad accent and spoke too fast, but he said something about he hated seeing the students using low-level Duel Monsters all the time. He brought up a holographic screen to show certain cards that belonged to the students, including Leo and Luna's favorite low-level Duel Monsters.

I was slowly losing my patience when I heard Heitmann speaking so lowly about the twins' class and their skills in Dueling. They were still novices and the teachers' job was to develop the potential in each child. Heitmann reminded me a lot of the teachers in my first middle school who ignored every student, including myself, just because we had neurological problems. Compared with me and the others in my old class, I was one of the normal ones who wanted to get properly lessons, but never got them because they thought I was a "problem-child" like the others. I did ask and even begged for good lessons and even gave some suggestion about how to make each lesson better, but no. They had to ignore me and my brilliant ideas. Because of that, my load of inner anger grew and I now wanted to let it out before I would something I could regret… I guess a part of my dark side was coming out, but I controlled myself and held back physically, but not verbally.

"That's enough, Heitmann!" I exclaimed loudly, getting everyone off guard. "The schools and academies are existing to help children and motivate them to get a good result and reach their dreams no matter how bad they are! And the way you speak about Dueling is so messed up that it tells me _you_ might be a bad Duelist!"

"My sincere apologies… Not! You dare to call me a bad Duelist?!" Heitmann literally roared, feeling offended by my insult which had been on purpose to provoke him. "You've got some nerve for being an outsider of the Duel Academy!" He turned his glance at Yusei. "Now screw along and repair what it is you came here to repair!"

"I was asked to fix something called The Rudolph Heitmann, but I guess I found out what it is now", Yusei said. "And it surely fits in the descriptions about having a few screws loose, not being reliable and it talks too much."

"What in the…?!" Heitmann growled.

"Heitmann is the Vice-Chancellor!" Luna warned us.

"And he's planning on expelling our entire class from the Duel Academy", Leo added.

"He thinks we're not good enough to be here…", Patty whimpered.

"He isn't giving us a chance", Bob included.

I took a couple of steps forward while putting my hands on the hips, having a serious expression. "If there is something I have issues with, it's arrogant and ignorant teachers who refuses to see the potential and hidden skills in students whether being Duelists or not." I pointed strictly at Heitmann. "Heitmann! I challenge you on a Duel! If I win, you'll leave this class alone and not expelling a single student!"

"And if you lose, then these peanuts will spend the rest of this semester shopping around in an institution willing to accept them!" Heitmann said his demands. "See you at the Battle Dome in 10!"

"Deal! Don't make me wait!" I nodded and turned around, walking past Yusei and out of the classroom to let out some steam.

I walked out to the big area that was a hallway and walked around in circles to calm down. It helped me a lot to walk around in a certain pattern to relax, and not just for me. For many children and adults with neurological disorders, it was one of the many ways to calm down without getting violent.

I stopped walking around in circles and took a few deep breathes. I heard many footsteps echoing in the hallway where I just walked out from and I didn't want the group see me in the current state so I relaxed and turned around seeing the twins' class with Ms. Bartlet, Akiza and Yusei.

The children gathered by me immediately while Ms. Bartlet sat down on a bench a few meters from us with Akiza and Yusei. I went down on one knee to be in same eyelevel as the children.

"Thanks for doing this, Estelle", Luna thanked me.

"Teach that Vice-Chancellor of ours a lesson", Leo grumbled angrily.

"I'll do my best", I nodded. "But before I go and Duel Heitmann, there's something I need from you guys."

"What can we do?" the whole group of students asked simultaneously.

"Remember those cards Heitmann showed us when he talked about low-level Duel Monsters?" I asked, getting nods from each student. "I want you children to lend me those cards for this Duel. I want to prove Heitmann that winning a Duel is not only about using high-level Monsters."

"Okay then. Take care of this card", Dexter said, giving me his Batteryman AA.

"Here's mine", Bob gave me his Flamvell Guard.

"Here", Patty said, handing me her Hanewata.

Laila stepped up to me, handing me her Mystical Fairy Elfuria. "Take care of her…"

I looked at the cards seeing I was missing Eccentric Boy. We turned to Sly who leant against a wall a few meters from us. "Come on, Sly. Give her your card", Luna told him.

Sly grunted, but walked away from the wall to hand me over his Eccentric Boy card.

"Thank you, little ones", I smiled, looking at the five cards. "With these cards we are connected, and we'll be able to do this together."

"Do your best, Estelle", Patty told me.

"We'll be cheering for you", Laila said.

"Good luck, Estelle", Leo added.

I sat down on a bench to quickly modify my Deck, removing five of my usual Duel Monsters and replaced them with the borrowed cards. I removed Dragon's Mirror, Mythic Water Dragon, Dragon's Gunfire, Draconcarnation and Dragon's Rebirth for the moment.

When the modifying was done, I went to the female bathroom to put up my hair into a high ponytail. I stood in front of a mirror and tried pulling up my hair while holding the ribbon between my fingers. I always had problems with high ponytails, but not with low ponytails.

I spotted in the mirror how Akiza entered the bathroom and walked over to me. "Here. Let me help you", she said, taking the bunch of hair from my hands, including my ribbon.

"Thank you, Aki", I smiled gently.

"No, I should be thanking you", Akiza shook her head as she fixed my hair. "You're willing to put the Vice-Chancellor on his rightful place and shut him up. He doesn't have a good rumor in the academy."

"I guess he's all talk but no bite? Is that how you say the quote on English?" I asked, wondering if I got it right.

"All talk but no bark, I think", Akiza corrected me, now tying up my hair. "It sounds kinda funny when you try speaking such quotes like this one."

"Well… I know how to read and talk English and even with the grammar, but I've still got difficulties in certain parts", I shrugged.

"But I still find it cute…", Akiza had just finished tying up my hair into a ponytail when she froze after the comment.

I arched an eyebrow and turned around seeing her having a shocked expression with pink cheeks. "Aki?"

Akiza looked away while curling one of her long side-bangs. "I… I'm sorry… I blurted that one out without thinking…"

I smiled lightly and put my hand on Akiza's left shoulder, turning her slowly back to me. "It's okay, Aki. True girl friends call often each other cute. Not that I've got experience about young adult friendship, but it's alright if you speak out your true feelings."

Akiza's expression turned from slight surprise into a small gentle smile with a shade of pink painted on her cheeks. "Thank you, Estelle…"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Laila Noble belongs to **_**Springflowerangel**_**.**


	35. A Lesson to Learn – Part 3

**Here we go with a full Duel between Heitmann and Estelle. Enjoy seeing Highboy being beaten! :)**

**DON'T FORGET THE POLL, THANK YOU!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 35: A Lesson to Learn – Part 3**

Akiza escorted me to the Battle Dome where Heitmann was waiting. Once she left, Heitmann and I entered the Battle Dome and took our positions at one of the Dueling fields. On the stands above sat the whole class with Ms. Bartlet and Yusei. I saw Akiza joining them.

Heitmann and I held our Decks to show each other we were ready. Heitmann laughed evilly with a smirk. "You're about to experience the over-whelming magnitude of my Vanguard Deck!" he threatened.

We put our Decks into our Duel Disks while setting the Life Points to 4000 each. "Let's Duel!" We drew the first five cards from the top of our Decks.

**Estelle: 4000**

**Heitmann: 4000**

"Ladies first! I draw!" I drew my sixth card.

I took a quick look at my hand, seeing I had Flamvell Guard, Impenetrable Attack, Lightning Vortex, Hanewata, Batteryman AA and Parsec, the Interstellar Dragon. Okay, I had a good start.

"I summon Flamvell Guard in defense mode!" I placed said card on the Duel Disk.

The dragon appeared on the field and went to a defense position while its body burned by a protective fire.

**Flamvell Guard, Level 1: DEF 2000**

"And I end my turn with a face-down", I put my only Trap card in the Spell/Trap card zone. "Show us what you got!"

"Oh, I'll show you what I've got, alright!" Heitmann said sarcastically as he drew his sixth card. "I summon Ancient Gear Statue to the field!"

A machine-clad like statue appeared in front of Heitmann, not even making a single sound.

**Ancient Gear Statue, Level 2: ATK 500**

"Now, with the help of Ancient Gear Statue, I should teach you a valuable lesson that you've seem to never learn!" Heitmann warned me as he babbled on. "…Send a weak Monster to do the real Monster's job and you always lose! Trebly demonstrate of this simple max, I shall now activate the Machine Duplication spell!" He activated said Spell card. "With this Spell, I can summon as many weak machine-type Monsters as I want from my Deck to the field! And I just happen to have two more Ancient Gear Statues in my Deck!" Two new Ancient Gear Statues showed up on the field as if the first one got duplicated.

**Ancient Gear Statue, Level 2: ATK 500**

**Ancient Gear Statue, Level 2: ATK 500**

"Something tells me he's not stopping there!" I heard Leo shout from the stands.

"I'm not stopping there!" Heitmann assured. "For you see, for every Ancient Gear Statue I discharge from the field I can summon in its place… How can I say this? A Monster with a little more…oops." While he was speaking, the three Ancient Gear Statues left the field in three small explosions.

"Well?!" I frowned, my ears getting tired by Heitmann's constant talk.

The floor seemed to rumble as three portals opened on the ground to Special summon three Ancient Gear Golems. And let me tell you something, those Monsters looked like a combination of machinery skeletons.

**Ancient Gear Golem, Level 8: ATK 3000**

**Ancient Gear Golem, Level 8: ATK 3000**

**Ancient Gear Golem, Level 8: ATK 3000**

"Ten years has its privileges", Heitmann bragged when he heard Leo wondering how he got these Duel Monsters. "These cards have been passed out over the years to only the elitist of the elite here at Duel Academy. _This_ is power, students! There's nothing wrong with having weak Monsters in your Deck, but if that's all you have, if it's all you know how to use, then…" He let out an evilly laugh. "Well, that's precisely why you're getting expelled from the Duel Academy because you are _not_ real Duelists!"

"Shut it, Highboy!" I yelled out, losing my patience once again. "Strong Monsters do not guarantee you to always win! A real Duelist combines weak and strong Duel Monsters in order to find the right balance between the cards and the Duelist himself!"

Heitmann growled angrily at the nickname I just gave him. "It's Heitmann, young lady! You've irritated me now, so I shall commence a full assault. Brace yourself, Estelle!"

"I'll brace myself by activating my Trap Impenetrable Attack!" I activated said Trap card. "With this card, I can either protect one of my Monsters from being destroyed or not taking any battle damage in this Battle Phase. And I choose to protect Flamvell Guard!" A glowing sphere appeared around the Tuner dragon, protecting it from the incoming attacks.

"Ha!" Heitmann smirked. "Cute try, but it won't do you any good for when Ancient Gear Golem battles a Monster in defense mode, you still take the difference as damage! Allow me to demonstrate. Ancient Gear Golem nr.1, attack Flamvell Guard!"

The first Ancient Gear Golem in the middle threw its fist onto the sphere that shielded Flamvell Guard. The shockwave of the impact made me slide backwards. The two Ancient Gear Golems followed their leader and threw their attacks on Flamvell Guard. I already felt my energy getting drained by the Duel both physically and mentally by Heitmann's talking.

**Estelle: 4000 – 1000**

**Heitmann: 4000**

"Come on, Estelle!" I heard some of the students cheering for me.

"And now, to complete my lesson, I'm activating the Level Thunder Spell card!" Heitmann played said card. "This spell slams you damage equal to the total levels of my Monsters multiplied by 100!" That was totally 2400 Life Points of damage…

"Come on, Estelle, don't let him win!" Ms. Bartlet told me.

"Ha! Combos like these are those you can't fill around with puny little Monsters", Heitmann snorted loudly. "You have to be strong to survive!" Thunders were coming out from the Level Thunder Spell card, heading towards me.

"Look out, Estelle!" the twins shouted.

"Not so fast!" I called. "By sending Hanewata from my hand to the Graveyard, I can negate your card's effect!" I did the action seconds before the thunders could hit me. A transparent Hanewata appeared in front of me and grew in size to protect me.

"So you held on with the help of another feeble Monster. You're quite persisted, Estelle", Heitmann sighed nonchalantly. "You are as nasty as a cockroach, but I step on cockroaches!"

I heard the children talk in the background, being worried about the situation. I turned around to give them an assuring smile. "Don't worry. I've got a few lessons on my own." I turned back to Heitmann, pointing strictly at him. "You've made your case, Heitmann, but I'm not buying it! And now, it's my turn to teach _you_ a lesson!"

"Ha! With what?!" Heitmann asked. "You've got three Golems towering over you and the only thing standing in their way is one lowly little Tuner Monster! Oh, oh, I get it! Is this the lesson of losing gracefully?"

"Far from it!" I drew the top card of my Deck, seeing I had drawn Eccentric Boy. Perfect!

I couldn't hold back a smirk that appeared on my lips. "Bad news, Highboy!"

"What? And don't call me Highboy!" Heitmann yelled.

"I start my turn by activating the Lightning Vortex Spell card!" I activated said card. "By discarding a card from my hand to the Graveyard…" I discarded Batteryman AA. "…I can destroy every monster on your side of the field. And I don't see any Trap cards on your side of the field or Quick-Play Spell cards in your hand since it's empty so you can't stop the spell!"

A transparent Batteryman AA appeared on the field before it dissipated into particles that floated up to the ceiling to create a thundercloud. Three lightning bolts struck down on the Ancient Gear Golems, destroying them one by one.

Heitmann was starting to look slightly pale at the sight before him. "W-What…?! Y-You've destroyed my incredible wall of power!" He calmed down and returned to his annoying self. "But even if you destroyed all my three Golems, you've got no powerful Monsters expect that pathetic Tuner Monster that is defense mode. And even if you turned it to attack mode I would only suffer 100 points of damage."

"So I guess I have to bring out my stronger Monsters since I'm not done yet! I'm summoning Eccentric Boy!" I said, placing said card on my Duel Disk. The warrior-type Tuner Monster appeared on the field.

**Eccentric Boy, Level 3: ATK 800**

"And when I use it to Synchro summon, I can choose the other Monsters I need directly from my hand!" I continued placing Parsec, the Interstellar Dragon on the Duel Disk. "And I choose Parsec, the Interstellar Dragon!" Said dragon showed up on the field in the gap between Flamvell Guard and Eccentric Boy.

**Parsec, the Interstellar Dragon, Level 8: ATK 800**

"Is that really a dragon?" I heard Laila ask in the background.

"Now, Eccentric Boy, tune up with Parsec, the Interstellar Dragon!" I commanded.

Eccentric Boy spun around to form a tornado that headed to Parsec, the Interstellar Dragon before those two shot up into the air.

"What in the what?! You can tune a Monster that's not even present on the field?!" Heitmann exclaimed in shock.

"Yep! A real Duelist would know that!" I replied.

We watched as Eccentric Boy's level stars turned into three rings. In the middle of the three rings floated Parsec, the Interstellar Dragon until it got dissipated with its eight level stars remaining. The three rings and the eight level stars united as a bright light appeared above us. The air around me got intense with powerful winds. A large fireball that looked like the sun appeared above before there was a roar coming from the flaming orb.

"Come forth, the ruler of the stars, the emperor of the dragons… STAR EATER!"

Said dragon broke out from the flaming orb with a roar that echoed around us, causing the windows to vibrate, very close to shatter, but they held on. Star Eater spread out his wings and let the small flames rain down around us.

**Star Eater, Level 11: ATK 3200**

The children on the stands cheered loudly and happily as Star Eater roared again, feeling relieved to come out for a Duel.

Heitmann was turning pale at the sight before him. "W-What…?! A-A Level 11 Synchro Monster?! I-I-I'm defenseless against s-such a m-mighty beast!"

"Don't worry", I told him. "You'll be still standing after the direct attack, so we'll take it easy on you." I patted Star Eater's tail that hovered next to me. "Star Eater, attack directly with Star Striker!"

Star Eater roared as he collected energy in his open mouth. Once he collected enough energy, he shot out five orbs that formed a star while heading towards Heitmann. Heitmann screamed in fear as the star hit him, causing a holographic explosion.

**Estelle: 1000**

**Heitmann: 4000 – 800**

Once the smoke died down, Heitmann was still standing, but not looking in his best shape as in a couple of seconds ago. He looked really exhausted.

"_**If I had more attack points, I would have gladly dismissed him from today's lesson**_", Star Eater snorted.

I chuckled at his comment. "You will next turn…if things don't go wrong. I end my turn."

"W-Well… I'm still here and can…give you a new lesson of mine…", Heitmann panted as he drew the top card of his Deck. "Aha! Wonderful!" His exhaustion was suddenly swept away by the card he had just drawn. "I'm activating this particular Spell card Monster Reborn!" My eyes widened by the surprising move. Wasn't the Monster Reborn Spell card banned from Advanced Decks or did that only apply in my dimension? "With this card, I can Special summon a Monster from any Graveyard directly to the field. And I choose one of my Ancient Gear Golems!" The Ancient Gear Golem returned to the field, but now in defense mode.

**Ancient Gear Golem, Level 8: DEF 3000**

"Now I've got a strong defense shield to keep me up in the Duel and collect one more card in the next turn and I might draw the right card I need to expel the entire class!" Heitmann threatened.

He was right at some point. It all depended on the next card I was going to draw. If I got a Duel Monster with enough attack point to finish Heitmann I would win. But if I draw a Spell or Trap card that was going to be useless and Heitmann would draw a useful card to remove Star Eater from the field… I didn't want to think about that.

I took a deep breath and reached for the top card of my Deck. I closed my eyes and drew the card. I kind of heard the dramatic noise in the background when I had drawn the card. I opened my eyes and looked at the card, feeling a smile grow on my lips.

"First of all, I switch Flamvell Guard into attack mode!" I said while turning the card on the Duel Disk in attack mode. The flames around the Tuner dragon disappeared as it spread open its wings, letting out a small roar.

**Flamvell Guard, Level 1: ATK 100**

"What kind of strategy are you going with?" Heitmann asked sarcastically. "Planning on attacking with the low attack points-monster after you've taken down my Ancient Gear Golem with your itty-bitty lizard?!"

"That's why Flamvell Guard will get some help by Mystical Fairy Elfuria!" I called while placing the spellcaster Monster card on the Duel Disk.

A cute spellcaster female humanoid Monster appeared next to Flamvell Guard while holding a staff in it hand.

**Mystical Fairy Elfuria, Level 3: ATK 1500**

"Another low-level Monster?! What's up with you and those useless Monsters in the-", Heitmann stopped himself when he finally recognized the Monsters. "Wait! Those are…! I know those Monsters!"

"So you've finally noticed what kind of cards I've been using?" I asked him, not caring what he was going to say. "Well, these low-level Monsters you dare to insult and are about to take you down belongs to the class you want to expel! They are the Monsters you had the nerve to call useless!" I pointed with my left arm up at the stands where the twins' class was sitting.

Heitmann growled, "I don't care how many cards you have! Weakness is still weakness! And those weak Monsters can't take on my powerful Golems!"

I arched an eyebrow. "Excuse me? Did you just say "Golem_s_"? I only see _one_ on your side of the field, but that one will soon be reduced. Star Eater, attack Ancient Gear Golem with Star Striker!"

Star Eater roared and launched the attack, destroying Ancient Gear Golem into particles. But because the machine Monster had been in defense mode, Heitmann didn't suffer by losing Life Points. However, his field was now completely empty.

"Now, Flamvell Guard, attack Highboy directly! Cast your flames!" I commanded.

Flamvell Guard roared before he breathed fire at Heitmann. The Vice-Chancellor screamed in pain as the flames took hold on his body.

**Estelle: 1000**

**Heitmann: 800 – 700**

"And now, let's finish it, Mystical Fairy Elfuria!" I told the spellcaster Monster. "Use your power to take out Highboy's Life Points!"

Mystical Fairy Elfuria held up her staff and pointed it straight at Heitmann. She released a tornado of wind that headed to my opponent, blending it with the remaining flames of Flamvell Guard's attack. The tornado turned into a fire tornado and surrounded Heitmann until it exploded, draining his remaining Life Points.

**Estelle: 1000**

**Heitmann: 700 – 0**

Heitmann stumbled backwards, now looking truly exhausted but also shocked by the loss. I heard the children cheer in the background, also Patty mentioning I had used all five Monsters I borrowed. I looked over my shoulder seeing the audience leave the stands with Akiza and Yusei remaining a couple of seconds. The three of us shared a small smile before I turned back to Heitmann. He looked traumatized.

"Impossible… How could I fall with my Vanguard Deck? Never could I consider that such low-level Monsters could have so much potential…", Heitmann mumbled.

"Have you not realized it yet?" I asked as I walked up to him, crossing my arms. "You lost because you underestimated the low-level Monsters, just like how you underestimated this class. True, they have much to learn and a long way to reach the level of a professional Duelist, but as long as they believe in themselves and in their cards they'll be able to reach their goals and shine stronger than any other stars in the universe!"

"And that's what Dueling's all about", a new voice spoke up.

I turned to the door and saw the Chancellor of Duel Academy as he walked to us. "It's you, sir", I said.

"If I could have demonstrated it myself, I would have, but I'm just an administrator", the Chancellor smiled.

"Chancellor?!" Heitmann exclaimed in surprise.

"Personally, I wanted to fire Heitmann, but one of our biggest donators happens to be his mother…who he still lives with", the Chancellor smiled to me before he shot an angry glance at Heitmann.

"If you were thinking about firing me, sir, why didn't you just come to me and say something?" Heitmann wondered.

"I tried, but as usual _you_ didn't listen", the Chancellor replied with a strict voice.

"I understand…", Heitmann sighed. "It seems I've been nothing but a blockhead…"

I was about to retort with a comment, but I kept my mouth close. Instead I greeted the twins' group with a smile as they gathered around me and hugged my waist.

"But I'm still the one in charge of the expulsions!" Heitmann called out loudly, causing the happy mood to freeze as the children looked at the Vice-Chancellor in shock. "And I'm revoking all of yours…"

The children returned to the happy mood and hugged me even tighter. I chuckled at their reactions, rubbing the top of their heads.

"Duel Academy gives you thanks, Estelle, though I first gave Yusei the job", the Chancellor said.

I chuckled, "Things can change fast and I wanted to teach Vice-Chancellor myself a lesson due to my past with horrible teachers."

"That is understandable", the Chancellor smiled before leaving the Battle Dome with a sulking and exhausted Heitmann.

I took out the five cards I borrowed from my Deck and handed them back to their rightful owners. I spotted in the background how Sly was looking away with his arms crossed, acting all lone wolf again. "Sly", I called to get his attention. Sly looked up as I walked up to him and got down on one knee.

"Thank you very much. I couldn't have done it without your Eccentric Boy", I said while holding up said card.

"Whatever", Sly shrugged before taking his card.

I frowned, but let my smile return before I rubbed the top of his head with slight pressure. Sly tried to slap away my arm, but stopped when I stopped my movement. He looked up at me with angry eyes that held slight confusion.

"Keep treating Eccentric Boy and your other cards with friendship and love", I told him. "And one day you will find the rightful Synchro Monster who you will become partner with and have a connection with it."

Sly's eyes turned now into complete surprise and confusion. I gave him one last smile before I removed my hand from the top of his head. I stood up and turned around to walk out of the Battle Dome with the twins' group following me, telling me excitedly about the Duel and how they were going to tell their parents and everyone they knew about it. I met up with Yusei, Akiza and Ms. Bartlet at the doorway of the Battle Dome. Ms. Bartlet was thanking me thousands of times for saving her class from getting expelled.

Just then a thought hit me. Sly wanted to get Yusei's Stardust Dragon in the anime and even now, but after this Duel… Would he come after my Star Eater instead? Would he even try stealing our cards or would he listen to my advice and look for his rightful Synchro Monster partner? I guess only time could tell…

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Laila Noble belongs to **_**Springflowerangel**_**.**


	36. The Truth about Mr Bashford

**At first I was thinking of skipping Episode 68, but when I watched it from the beginning to the end, I got really touched by the sad story of Mr. Bashford's family. So be aware this chapter will be shorter than usual.**

**I'll be using Mr. Basford's German first name in the story which is Opa.**

**THE POLL IS CLOSED NOW! THANK YOU GUYS FOR VOTING!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 36: The Truth about Mr. Bashford**

I forgot to mention something about the area where Martha's house was. They had built a retirement home for elderly people fifty meters from Martha's. When I wasn't busy with babysitting or running errands for Martha, I also part-time worked in the retirement home to get some pocket-money. I was more like Dr. Schmidt's assistant when he worked there.

Today I was taking care of some of Crow's young "siblings" who had been living with him before the Satellite got connected with New Domino City. They were visiting Martha as their foster parents were at their jobs. The children looked fresh with their clean clothes and good hygiene.

We got a call earlier from the Satellite Trio (Yusei, Jack and Crow) that they would show up and pay Martha a visit. The children got excited when they heard Crow was coming that they kept waiting outside as Martha, Dr. Schmidt, Blister and I talked about an urgent matter, concerning an old man named Mr. Bashford. You could imagine how surprised I was when I heard Mr. Bashford's first name was Opa. He didn't have an English first name. He only had in the Japanese and German versions of the anime.

But since I grew kinda bored of the talking, I decided to head to the kitchen and bake chocolate cookies for the children. Decoy Dragon couldn't help but show up and take a bit of the dough for the cookies once in a while when I wasn't looking.

I made three batches of cookies and kept them cooling before I placed some of them on a plate and brought it out to the dining room where everyone had now gathered, and by everyone I included Yusei, Jack and Crow. They must have showed up only minutes ago since Crow was getting the address of Mr. Bashford's home from Dr. Schmidt. Yusei was the first of the three to notice me.

"Oh, hey, Estelle."

I smiled lightly in return. "Hello."

"Hey, did you make cookies?" one of the small boys wondered.

"Can I have one, please?" one of the little girls asked.

The children suddenly gathered around me while they kept asking for a cookie or two. I chuckled at their reactions and held down the plate to their reach. "Sure, have some cookies, but don't forget to brush your teeth twice before bedtime."

"Okay!" the children sang as they took almost every cookie from the plate.

"Well, someone's certainly popular", Crow commented. "But…" He walked up to me with a pair of puppy eyes. "Can I have a cookie, please~?"

We all laughed at Crow's childish acting. Sometimes he was just too much, but he was still being cute for that.

"Sure, since you're behaving really good like a puppy", I retorted playfully.

"Hey! I'm not a puppy! I'm a bird!" Crow turned back to his old self again.

"Hard to believe that", Jack commented in the background.

Crow picked a cookie and threw it into his mouth, chewing it before swallowing. His eyes widened and it spread to his mouth that turned into a smile. "Hey, it's really good! I expected the cookie to be hard, but this is really soft."

"It's a recipe I memorized from my dimension", I replied. "I got the recipe during middle school." I put the plate on the dining table as I looked at everyone. "You're heading to Mr. Bashford?"

"Yeah", Yusei nodded. "We'll try convincing him to come live with Martha. You want to come along?"

I nodded, "Of course. I know Mr. Bashford has a couple of traps and it would be safer if I forewarn you about them."

"No traps will stop me, that's for sure!" Crow said proudly.

"We'll see about that, Crow", Dr. Schmidt warned. "Last time I was there I almost got hit by a trash can lid."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Blister decided to come along so I sat in the side-cart he had installed on his Duel Runner. That way I wouldn't have to sit behind one of the boys and be clamped between the driver and the Runner.

The ride was 15 minutes long, but when we got to the place… I was literally stunned. I knew I had seen the cartoon version of Mr. Bashford's place, but it was nothing comparing to what I had seen. The piles of scrap, junk and garbage were too big and almost covered the whole house. The biggest problem was the piles were looking unstable.

"Somebody lives here?!" Crow couldn't believe his eyes. "It's a mountain of junk!"

"It's more like a mountain reigned of junk", Yusei commented.

"This must be the only place in Satellite that kept the old style", I added.

"Are you certain this is the right place?" Jack asked Blister.

"This is it", Blister replied.

"Alright, guys, I'm on it!" Crow told us.

But just as he was about to take a step, a loud voice echoed around us.

"_That's close enough, punk!_"

Both Crow and I covered our ears due to the voice coming from a megaphone, but we recovered fast.

Blister pointed up at the house where an old man with a Hawaiian-like coat stood with a megaphone in his hand by the open windows. "And _that_ is Mr. Opa Bashford."

"What's up, you old-timer?! You wanna ditch this trash heap and come live in Martha's place?" Crow shouted back.

"Good, Crow. Nice and direct", Yusei said sarcastically.

Was it just me or had Yusei been slowly opening up? I didn't remember him being able to comment like that.

"_This trash heap is my home!_" Mr. Bashford retorted.

"But you're all alone! What if you fall down and can't get up?!" Crow tried to reason with the old man.

"_The only way I'm leaving is you dragging me out!_" Mr. Bashford retorted.

"Well, you heard him", Crow smirked. "Guess I got to infiltrate the fortress." With that said he rushed into the "garden".

"Crow, wait!" I called while trying to warn him. "Don't forget the traps!"

"He's gonna regret that", Blister sighed.

"You're coming with me, old man!" Crow shouted.

I looked up at the house to see Mr. Bashford pull in one of those ropes, activating one of the traps. A doll that looked like the Trap card Scrap-Iron Scarecrow stood up in front of Crow, causing him to run into it. The force of the collision was so strong it made the carrot-head bounce back, flying into a pile of junk.

Crow crawled out from the pile while shaking in rage. "This means war, old-timer!"

"How many traps are there?" Yusei asked me.

"Three from what I know, and that was the first one", I replied.

Crow had just jumped over the first pitfall trap, but couldn't avoid the second pitfall so he ended up crashing down into it.

"The second", I commented.

"Knowing Crow, he can stand more than that", Jack said.

We watched as Crow climbed out from the pitfall and started walking over to the house, aware of the surrounding and looking for traps. He almost made it, but Mr. Bashford's third trap got activated before Crow could sing his victory song. The Blackwing Duelist got shot up into the sky and landed at the other side of the place.

The three men and I ran after him to see if he was okay. Mr. Bashford had disappeared too, probably to check where Crow had crash-landed.

"Crow!" Yusei called when we found the carrot-head standing on a homemade Duel Arena.

"You alright?" Jack asked.

"I'm good, but forget me. Look at this!" Crow exclaimed, gesturing at the Duel Arena. "It's a Duel Arena, like a real one!"

"Look at those supporting rocks! They're made of tire ribs", Jack said when he saw the shape of the Duel Arena.

"Yeah, I think this is a homemade job", Yusei nodded.

"Hey!" Mr. Bashford exclaimed behind us as he approached our group. "No one's allowed up there! Get down!"

"Easy there, grandpa", Crow told the man. "I'm only up here because you flung me up here with your little booby-trap."

"I don't care how you got up there! Just get down!" Mr. Bashford growled.

"I got a better idea", Crow announced. "Why don't _you_ get up here and Duel me, century-man?"

"What did you say?" Mr. Bashford growled at the nickname.

"If I lose, I will quietly leave. But if I _win_, you have to come and check out what life is like at Martha's place!" Crow told the terms for Mr. Bashford who remained quiet. "Come on! You have this incredible Arena just standing here! You got to Duel me, grandpa! I've always wanted to throw down in a real Duel Arena like this one!"

The old man got surprised by Crow's enthusiasm for the Duel Arena. "You… Uh… You really like my Duel Arena, do you now?"

"Yeah! Of course I like it!" Crow nodded excitedly. "What's not to like?"

"Well then! Let's see how you like _losing_ on it!" Mr. Bashford accepted the challenge.

"Are they serious about this?" Jack questioned.

"You and I Duel for silly reasons", Yusei told him.

"Plus we know Dueling can reveal the Duelist's feelings and true actions", I added. "There must be a reason why Mr. Bashford wants to stay here in his home and why he built this Duel Arena in the first place."

"What are you now? A psychic?" Blister asked me.

"A psychologist and a realist", I retorted.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I was recording the Duel between Crow and Mr. Bashford with my smartphone to try gathering some "proof". If Mr. Bashford's sad family story was the same as in the anime, then I would try finding his son and convince him to come see his father for one time. I did capture those moments when Mr. Bashford had those illusions of his son standing on the Duel Arena and admiring it, and how the old man talked to himself.

The three men tried to ask me why I was recording the Duel, but I hushed them so I could get the audio of the Duel. When they realized I would just keep hushing them, they leaved me alone.

Jack kept muttering about when Kid Junk would make an appearance which grabbed Blister's attention. When Crow finally made some damage to Mr. Bashford's Life Points, the rumble from the Duel Arena caused the mountain of junk around us to become more unstable.

Yusei and Jack finally explained for Blister about the Junk family of Mr. Bashford's Duel Monsters and the only card that was missing was Kid Junk. I knew what had happened to that Duel Monster, but I didn't say anything.

Yusei decided to go and check Mr. Bashford's house since he got a hunch about the whole dilemma.

"What is his hunch?" Blister wondered.

"I hope he hurry and get out of the house because the pile of junk is starting to become unstable", I said worriedly.

Just then, Mr. Bashford had made his big assault at Crow and caused the pile of junk to rumble due to the action from the Duel Arena.

"Whoa, what is that?!" Jack wondered.

"Feels like the commotion from the Duel is gonna bring the mountain of junk crashing down on us!" Blister said. "Crow, stop the Duel! We gotta get out of here!"

Crow nodded before turning to Mr. Bashford. "You heard him, gramps! Let's go!"

Mr. Bashford refused to listen so Crow ended the Duel with his Black Thunder Trap card, dealing 400 points of damage equal to every card the old man had on his field. So it became a huge knockout.

I stopped the recording and was about to put the smartphone in the pocket of my jacket when Jack grabbed my arm and pulled us away from the avalanche of junk with Blister following us. We heard Crow and Mr. Bashford's screams, but we had to get to safety first or else we wouldn't be able to help them if we ended up buried alive. Even the house got buried by the junk avalanche so I really hoped Yusei got out of there in time.

When the avalanche calmed down, we rushed back to the area where the Duel Arena had been and started looking for Crow and Mr. Bashford. Luckily, we found them unharmed inside an old refrigerator on the surface of the junk pile.

"Were you looking for us?" Crow smirked.

"Oh, good, you're safe!" Blister sighed in relief.

"Are you two hurt?" I asked while secretly picking up my smartphone again.

"Nope, we're fine", Crow replied as he helped Mr. Bashford out of the refrigerator.

Mr. Bashford walked shakenly over to his now broken Duel Arena, feeling devastated. "No… Adam's Duel Arena… This can't be…!" He was about to run to his buried house, but Crow held him back.

"Stay back", Crow told back the old man.

"Let go of me, squirt…", Mr. Bashford protested weakly. "I have to get into my house…!"

"I'm afraid there's not too much left of it", Yusei called as he rushed over to us.

"Yusei!" Blister exclaimed in relief. "What were you doing?"

Yusei walked over to Mr. Bashford. "I'm sorry. Your house was buried in the rubble, but I was able to get out there in time with this." He held up a photo frame to the old man. "I thought you might want it."

The old man took the photo frame that held a family photo of himself, his late wife and their son.

"Look at that… A nice family moment…", Crow mumbled in the background.

"Family? We figured you didn't have a family", Blister told Mr. Bashford.

"I don't… I… Well, I… I did…", Mr. Bashford confessed.

"You didn't summon Kid Junk", Yusei said. "I'm guessing that's because it's not part of your Deck, right?"

"That's right", Mr. Bashford nodded. "I used to have it, but… I gave it to my son. I was a sculpture artist, and I was so focused on my work that I neglected what was most important to me. When I realized how I had been acting, I built this Duel Arena to try to make amends, but… It was too late." He was close to tears. "I've woken up every day since, thinking maybe this will be the day my son comes back home for a Duel."

"So that's why you don't want to leave this place. You're waiting", Blister realized.

"Is that right?" Yusei asked the old man.

Just then, I saw a hidden pained face on the raven-haired man. I could imagine how it hurt for him when he listened to Mr. Bashford's sad family story since he never got to know his biological father due to the Zero Reverse incident.

"Yes…", Mr. Bashford nodded. "I… I've spent an entire lifetime waiting…" He started sobbing as he let the tears fall down on the photo frame.

It was then I stopped recording in the background since everyone was focused on Mr. Bashford. I suddenly felt angry at Mr. Bashford's son Adam who never tried to take up the contact with his father again. Could it be that Adam's mother didn't allow him to call his father, or did Adam get so hurt by his father neglecting him?

"You know what…", Crow spoke up. "You've got yourself a new son right here!" He pointed at himself with a smile, causing Mr. Bashford to look at him confusedly. "In fact, you've got four! Four giant little boys!" He pulled me over to the group and locked me in a noggie. "And a daughter to boot!"

I laughed at Crow's actions. "Like you said, Crow."

"He's right", Yusei agreed. "I would love to hang out and learn a thing or two from you about junk Decks."

"Yes. I too would like to come around and Duel with you", Jack said bashfully.

Crow let go of me as I straightened up. "I would also like to Duel with you and sharpen my skills and spend time as father/daughter", I said with a small smile.

"And! If you live at Martha's you'll be surrounded by more grandkids than you can shake a can!" Crow added.

"That sounds nice", Mr. Bashford smiled heart-fully.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go and be united with your new family!" Crow cheered joyfully.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Mr. Bashford moved in at Martha's place and helped out with the daycare. He said he had lots of energy left now when he got surrounded by children who wanted to spend time with him. In fact, he got inspired by Yusei's achievements and built a sculpture of Stardust Dragon outside of Martha's house with junk. It looked very impressive.

The Satellite Trio got invited for the vernissage at the early evening when Mr. Bashford got finished with it. Martha, Dr. Schmidt, Blister and I stood with the young men as the children in the daycare stared amazingly at the Stardust Dragon sculpture.

"It's like the real Stardust Dragon!" one of Crow's "siblings" commented.

"No, it's even better!" a girl added.

Mr. Bashford laughed bashfully as the rest of us smiled at the warm scene.

"It seems he's being happy here", Yusei stated. "You've done your good deed for the week, Crow."

"You think so?" Crow wondered.

"The Stardust Dragon sculpture is actually symbolizing the Satellite", I said, getting the group's attention. "The sculpture is made out of junk which shows the old Satellite, but if you look with a deeper sight and can see the beauty of it, it shows how it went through the tough time and became something beautiful like today's Satellite."

"My, you're right about that, Estelle", Martha smiled. "You surely can analyze the mystery of art."

I shrugged bashfully. "It's an ability my mother helped me to sharpen during the last few years."

"Hey, Crow, get over here! My shoulders are killing me! Come here and rub them for me, would ya?" Mr. Bashford asked as he climbed down the ladder next to the sculpture.

"Huh? Why do _I_ have to?" Crow asked in surprise.

"Quit whining and help a tired old man, Crow! Don't you want to get the good deed for the week?" Mr. Bashford repeated the same words that Yusei had said.

"I did that!" Crow retorted.

Yusei nudged forward the carrot-head playfully. "Go on, Crow."

"You're his new son, remember?" Jack reminded him.

Crow frowned, but walked over to Mr. Bashford and started massaging him. However, they started arguing about how hard Crow should massage which caused the rest of us laughing at their father/son moment.

I looked up at the orange sky, wondering how my parents were doing. Were they worried about me and wondered where I could be? It made me go into an inner conflict again. I wanted to stay in this dimension with my friends, but I didn't want to make my parents worried. I didn't want to be selfish, so I had to accept the fact I would get sent back to my dimension once my mission was done.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The children that were sleeping over had gone to their beds and went to the dream world after I had been reading a bedtime story for them. I walked past Blister's room when I heard him talking to the Satellite Trio which caused me to turn back and stand next to the door, listening at their talk.

Blister told the three young men about that mysterious meteor that had crashed outside of New Domino City a couple of weeks ago. He mentioned that he had been looking around on the Sector Security network and was able to get little information, like the meteor was actually a stone tablet.

I heard enough and walked quietly to my room, shutting the door close behind me gently. The talk of the stone tablet made me remember the Three Pure Nobles. There had been no signs of them after the Ghost incident. I remembered clearly that the Ghost had mentioned his masters needed me for something so they were certainly after me. But why didn't they try coming after me?

I rubbed my forehead while feeling a small headache forming as I kept thinking about it. I decided to let it go and focus on the problems when they would truly appear.


	37. The Meklord Army Strikes

**Did you guys find the episode 69 funny with Jack trying to find a job and getting fired all the time? I just had to add some of that atmosphere, especially Crow's hysterical complaining, in this chapter before the bad stuff begins.**

**Anyway, it's time for action! Yes, you heard me. It's time for some worth-waiting action! The Three Pure Nobles are returning with a new plan.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 37: The Meklord Army Strikes**

Things had been calm for the rest of February… Too calm. It felt like it was the calm before a storm. Maybe the Three Pure Nobles were finally going to reveal themselves and attack me.

But right now I was sitting in my room working on a story while listening to Crow's rambling in the smartphone.

"…_And he thinks he doesn't have to work because he's the oh-so-good Master of Faster and King of Games! I mean, come on! When is he gonna wake up and face reality, man?!_"

Yep, it was about Jack and his selfish way for spending money on expensive coffee instead of saving the money for food and material for the Duel Runner engine that he, Crow and Yusei were working on.

"It sounds like Jack still has many gates closed and that blinds him to see and face the reality", I replied. "It's like the old time for me when I used to "live" in my fantasy world and not see the real world around me."

"_How come you know all of this stuff?_" Crow asked.

"Experience from the past, having an egoistic big brother myself, and lots of psychological talking and thinking", I replied. "You should try reading some books."

"_Yeah, if I had some spare time. At least you're also trying to make a living like me and Yusei. You're working on some stories, right?_"

"Yes. It's more like bedtime stories for children, but I have plans on writing a teenager book. It was actually on my thoughts back in my dimension, and now with all our adventures I've got lots of inspiration."

"_It sounds awesome!_"

"But don't forget I do _not_ "exist" in your dimension so I can't get my books published."

"_Damn, I forgot about that. Man, that's one dilemma for sure. I mean, I hear from the kids all the time how much they enjoy your stories, especially with those cliffhangers you add on the end of the chapters._"

"More excitement to keep reading the story. It's a way to capture the reader's interest. Anyway, back to Jack. He is an adult now. Still young, but an adult like you and Yusei because of your age. But age doesn't mean anything. It's how you think and view the world around you."

"_Whew, I still get goosebumps when you go into wise mode._"

I chuckled at the comment. "Get used to it."

"_I will. Well, gotta go! These parcels are not going to get delivered by themselves._"

"Good luck with the job, Crow. But remember; don't throw bad words on Jack just because he doesn't have a job. He is still human. He has feelings, so don't make him feel useless."

"…_Gotta think on that one._"

"He's still your foster brother, Crow", I said seriously.

The only reply I got was the beeping tone that Crow had cancelled the call. I sighed at the action and put away the smartphone before returning to my story.

The only sound in my room was the moving pencil on the notebook I was writing on. I often found myself writing stories about dragons and hawks, and humans with supernatural powers, probably because of my friends and our adventures. Plus my favorite genre was fantasy, next to reality books.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The situation with Jack was more or less solved. I heard it ended up just as it did in the anime; Jack beating up Don Pierro and got fired at his favorite coffee shop…after a few hours of work.

The three young men had taken up the money issue with Jack and the blonde man promised he would try to limit to instant coffee and only once in a week. But I heard he was always complaining for not drinking his favorite coffee.

I tried to think of a solution and I did, but it would cost almost every dollar of my pocket money. The sixth month anniversary of the boys living in the rented garage was coming up, and I thought a couple of useful presents would be appreciated. They moved in around September, after the Daedalus Bridge was finished.

I had already decided Jack and Crow's presents; a cheap but good coffee machine with bought ground coffee and some homemade coffee and a pillow filled with the softest quills. I had been visiting the Spirit World and learned there was a huge field with coffee beans of many kinds, including a coffee bean that was similar to Jack's favorite Blue-Eyes coffee. So I brought back small bags of different coffee and got taught by Martha how to roast the beans. As for the pillow, I once again visited the Spirit World to collect the softest quills I could find. It turned out the Duel Monster Blackwing – Blizzard the Far North's quills were of the best quality, so I collected the quills that were surprisingly clean. I brought them back and sew a homemade pillow filled with the Duel Monster quills.

But for Yusei… I didn't know what to get him. Maybe a new toolbox, but recolored and adding some silver patterns… It could work, _if_ Yusei needed a new toolbox.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I was on my way home to Martha's after a babysitting job in Satellite. I even got some tip because the boy I had been watching over loved listening to the story I had written while his parents were celebrating their anniversary as husband/wife. Now I had more than enough money to buy the men's presents.

But the problem was I _still_ didn't know about Yusei's case. I had been visiting the HQ, as I nicknamed the garage, but it seemed Yusei's current toolbox was all good.

It was then I realized how little I actually knew about my friends. It was a totally different thing to observe them in the anime, but they were just like real people in this dimension. They had their likes and dislikes, hidden feelings and personalities they probably didn't want to reveal, and the whole deal.

The thought made me a bit sad. I thought I was a good friend, but maybe I was wrong?

I shook my head quickly, getting rid of the depressing idea. But then again… What was my purpose here? The unspoken mission, of course, but besides that… What else? Was I even an important person to the Signers? Were they friends with me just because of our Marks and the war with Yliaster?

My arm suddenly started glowing. I looked down on my arm with the Star Mark and arched an eyebrow. Was this a warning?

I looked around to see nothing, but time seemed to have come to a standstill. The wind had turned all silent and there were no people around me. The street suddenly felt very spooky. It caused me to get goosebumps all over my covered arms.

I decided to keep walking, but remained cautious in case it was going to be an ambush like last time with the Ghost. Only three steps later, I heard something heading towards me from behind. I turned around and reached out my hand, creating a crimson pentagram-like shield like Round Shield from my favorite anime "Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha". The incoming object collided with the shield, heat radiating from it. I felt my feet drag backwards due to the force of the object, but I held myself in check and fought against it.

The object stopped spinning and fell down to the concrete with a clang noise. I dissipated the shield and looked down to see a mechanic-looking projectile laying in front of my feet. I looked up quickly when I spotted machine Duel Monsters appear a few meters away from me. I recognized them as Meklords, but I couldn't really remember their names. However, now wasn't the time to worry about the names.

"_Priestess…_", one of the Meklord said with a static voice like a robot. "_We are here to escort you to our masters._"

Again with the masters thing?

"_Come with us without resisting or we will use force_", another Meklord warned me.

"I'm not going", I told the horde of Meklords with a glare. Without saying anything else I turned around and ran away from the scene.

I knew it was a bad idea, because when I looked over my shoulder I saw the horde of Meklords following me. Their optics were shining red, like they were determined to get me in one way or another. I couldn't allow that to happen. I didn't know why the Three Pure Nobles were after me in the first place, plus the Meklords were immune to my Priestess powers.

Still, I had no other choice. I closed my eyes while I was running and focused on the energy stored in my Mark. I released the stored energy and felt it rush through my body like adrenaline. My body started glowing as I levitated from the ground. I felt my clothes getting replaced with my Warrior outfit and the two bird wings on my back grew out. My glasses were removed as I opened my now crimson eyes. I glared at the Meklord army and flew ahead, trying to lure them out to the sea so they wouldn't do any damage or injure innocent people.

I had to avoid attacks from the Meklords so I flew aside when I felt an incoming attack. But when I dodged the attacks, they ended up destroying either the street or nearby houses. I grunted against my teeth, not liking the sight of Satellite being vandalized because I had to prioritize myself.

I suddenly felt something hit my right leg, causing me to yell out in pain and lose slight control of my wings. But I regained the control and kept flying, ignoring the pain from my leg.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

At the same time as Estelle was being chased by the Meklord army, Yusei was still up in the garage going through the blueprints and other things on his laptop concerning the engine prototype for the WRGP. As usual, he didn't wear his jacket at home unless he felt himself being a bit cold.

Yusei sighed lightly while rubbing his sore eyes. He was sleepy, but he wanted to go through today's small flaws of the engine before he could hit the bed. Plus his toolbox had decided to give up and break when he had lifted it up by its handle. That had caused the raven-haired man to growl in frustration. Now he needed a new toolbox, but he was low on money due to food and material. What if a customer called and asked him to fix something? How would he bring his tools for the work?

Yusei typed on the laptop when his Mark started glowing. He turned the glance at the Mark arching an eyebrow.

"What's going on?" he wondered.

"Hey, Yusei!"

Said man looked over his shoulder when he heard Jack and Crow run down the stairs, both of them wearing their pyjamas. Both their arms with the Mark of the Dragon were glowing.

"Is something up, 'cause our Marks suddenly started glowing", Crow showed his Mark for the raven-haired man.

"I don't know", Yusei confessed. "My Mark started glowing as well."

"At this time of hour? What is possibly happening?" Jack muttered while rubbing his tired eyes.

"Last time our Marks glowed was when…", Crow spoke, but turned all silent with a pale face.

"Crow?" Yusei asked a bit worriedly.

"Are you with us?" Jack grabbed Crow's shoulder and shook him lightly.

Crow snapped out of his trance. "…When Estelle got hurt by the Ghost?"

Yusei and Jack gasped in shock when they heard Crow say that. Did their Marks warn them about one of the Signers were in trouble, or even Estelle?

Just then the home phone rang next to the poster of WRGP that was placed on the stairs. Yusei stood up and walked over to the phone picking the call. "Yusei Fudo. How may I help-"

"_Yusei! Is any of you guys in danger?!_" Akiza's voice shouted.

Yusei had to hold the phone away from his ear when Akiza had shouted. "Yeah, we're fine, Akiza. Your Mark's glowing too?"

"_Yeah! I woke up due to the glow from my arm and I immediately called the twins to ask if they were alright which they thankfully are._"

Yusei's eyes widened in realization. "But that means… Estelle's in danger!"

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I sighed mentally in relief when I spotted the ocean up ahead. I tried accelerating, but I had to fly slowly due to the attacks from the Meklords. Plus the pain in my leg distracted me, but not enough to make me lose the grip of the situation.

Once I was in a good distance and flying above the sea, I turned around to face the army of Meklords. I pulled a feather from both my wings and swung my arms as the feathers transformed into magma-glowing dual blades.

"Let's go", I whispered to myself.

My wings flapped faster than usual as I flew towards the Meklord army. The Meklords stopped moving to use their laser beams, but they got destroyed as I flew past them, slashing them with my weapons. The line of Meklords exploded behind me as I advanced through the army, the dual blades being now surrounded by flames.

Once I made it through the army, I turned around and formed an X with the dual blades. The flames got intense as I prepared for my next move. Once the energy was enough, I swung the blades releasing a giant flaming X. The X flew through the army and destroyed every Meklord it made contact with. I noticed how easy it was to defeat these small Meklords. I thought they were immune to my powers… Maybe it was only for the bigger Meklords?

I blocked incoming attacks with the dual blades, reflected laser beams with the blades and slashed the robots. Of course, I suffered some minor attacks, but as I kept moving around I felt my hurt leg throb harder in pain. I glanced down for a moment to see a small hole in the right leg. Blood was dripping from the hole in my calf, made by the laser beam from before.

I suddenly felt lightheaded, but caught my attention back when my Mark started glowing. I could sense the Signers' presence as they were coming. It made me turn pale in fear.

"No… No! They can't!" I panicked.

I blocked a robotic arm as I turned my glance at the Daedalus Bridge, seeing three familiar Duel Runners and Black Rose Dragon flying above them.

*_Yusei! Jack! Crow! Akiza!_* I panicked.

I pushed back the Meklord and slashed it so it exploded, but new Meklords approached me with their optics glowing red. Their servos were sparkling by electricity ready to shock me if I dared to move.

I glared at the robots, but grew concerned because of my friends coming to my aid. They had no idea what this was about and they didn't have the knowledge of using their inner powers yet.

"Get out of my way!" I screamed in anger, feeling the power increase within me.

A crimson orb surrounded me before it expanded, sucking in the nearby Meklords until I made the orb explode, taking down the Meklords without making any self-damage.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Yusei, Jack and Crow braked their Duel Runners a couple of seconds after the explosion occurred. Black Rose Dragon flew as close as she could to the bridge with Akiza riding on her, her Duel Disk strapped on her arm and activated with the card of her Synchro Monster. The twins weren't with the group since they got told to stay at home, letting the older Signers take care of the matter. Of course, the twins had protested, but gave up when Akiza told them strictly to stay put.

"What was that explosion?" Jack wondered as the three young men removed their helmets.

"Whoa! Guys, check it out!" Crow exclaimed, pointing at the sky.

The group spotted the army of Meklords as the smoke of the explosion died down, revealing a crimson shiny figure with bird wings among the robots.

"It's Estelle!" Akiza exclaimed in worry. "You guys stay here! Black Rose Dragon and I go and help her!"

Black Rose Dragon roared in agreement before she flew towards the Meklord army.

"Akiza, wait!" Yusei called, but the girl didn't hear his cry.

"What the heck are we supposed to do?!" Crow panicked. "Estelle told us we have powers just like her, but we don't know how to even activate them!"

"Damn!" Jack threw his fist on the monitor of his Duel Runner. "We're sitting ducks here!"

Yusei was just as angry as his foster brothers, but he didn't show it. He felt weak and useless for not being able to help the woman he had grown feelings for.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I was about to swing my dual blades and take down a couple of Meklords when thorny vines drilled through them, causing them to explode. I looked down and saw Black Rose Dragon coming towards the battlefield with Akiza sitting by the junction of where the neck and shoulders met on the dragon.

"Estelle!" Akiza waved her hand. "We're here to help you!"

"Akiza?!" I gasped. "Turn around and get out of here! You don't know what this is about!"

Black Rose Dragon roared and released a tornado of petals at the Meklords. I flapped my wings and flew away in time before I got sucked into the petal tornado. The robots exploded by the powerful wind and the razor-sharped petals drilling into their frames.

"What did you say?! I didn't catch that!" Akiza yelled through the noise around us.

I was about to reply when I spotted a slight bigger Meklord approach her and Black Rose Dragon from behind. It clenched its right servo into a fist, ready to punch the rose dragon.

"LOOK OUT!" I screamed.

I flew past Black Rose Dragon to take the hit of the incoming punch, and let me tell you something. It felt like I had crashed into a thick wall of concrete when the fist hit me. I thought I felt some of my bones breaking due to the punch, including my nose. Because of the hit, I was sent past above Black Rose Dragon and smashed into the ocean. I felt the water quickly fill my lungs when I gasped in pain.

Everything was slowly turning into black as I tried to focus on my Mark to activate some kind of resource.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

"ESTELLE!" Akiza cried out in panic. She had watched how the brown-haired woman had taken the hit that had been meant for Black Rose Dragon and got sent into the ocean below her.

Akiza hissed angrily against her teeth before glaring at the Meklord that had punched the woman she considered more than a sister-figure. She could feel how her powers were slowly getting out of control, but she kept herself in check…for the moment.

"Black Rose Dragon… ATTACK!"

Said dragon roared before heading into a fight with the Meklord army.

The three men were pale in their faces after they had seen Estelle being thrown down into the ocean like a crimson-colored comet.

Yusei was the first to snap out of it. He dismounted his Duel Runner and threw down his helmet onto the seat, including his gloves and jacket. Crow and Jack watched him in wonder, but snapped out of it when they saw the raven-haired man rush to the railing and starting climbing up. Jack and Crow quickly jumped out of their Duel Runners and grabbed Yusei, preventing him to dive into the ocean.

"Wait, Yusei! Don't do anything stupid!" Crow panicked.

Jack grabbed Yusei's arms from behind locking him so he could not move. "Are you crazy trying to dive into the ocean like that?!"

Yusei struggled against Jack's firm grip. "Let go of me, Jack! Someone must save Estelle before she drowns!"

"Yeah, we know that, but we can't just rush into something without thinking!" Crow tried to reason with the upset man.

"We both get it how much you like her, but you can't take the risk and-"

Jack wasn't able to finish his sentence when a tornado of water shot up from the ocean, heading towards the Meklord army.

Black Rose Dragon saw the water tornado and flew aside before she could get hit by the strange whirlpool. A crimson shadow glowed in the middle of the whirlpool before the water slowly started glowing crimson and changing into flames and magma. The whirlpool of fire swallowed every Meklord as it expanded into a small version of a cyclone.

The group of Signers could hear explosions occurring inside the cyclone as the Meklords melted and got destroyed by the extreme heat. Once the last Meklord got sucked into the cyclone, two long dual blades slashed through the cyclone revealing Estelle. She was glowing brighter than ever before. Estelle glared at the last Meklord and destroyed it with the dual blades.

It got quiet straight after the Meklord exploded into dust. Estelle lowered her arms and suddenly felt very lightheaded. In fact, she lost consciousness and fell down towards the ocean again. But this time she got caught by Black Rose Dragon's vines that lowered her down to Akiza. Akiza placed Estelle in a sitting position so she could rest her head against the psychic's chest.

Akiza glanced at her worriedly and held her head gently in her hands. She closed her eyes and leant her head slightly against Estelle's, kind of relieved that the Priestess was safe, but also worried for her condition.

Akiza opened her eyes and turned her attention at her Signer Dragon. "Black Rose Dragon… Fly to Martha's place."

Black Rose Dragon nodded and spread her wings before flying off to Satellite.

Yusei, Jack and Crow were following the magenta dragon with their eyes, seeing how it headed to Satellite. Jack had long time ago released Yusei, so they were standing there slight flabbergasted. Crow was the first to snap out of it sighing in relief.

"Well, looks like a certain someone didn't have to dive into the ocean to save his princess", the carrot-head snickered.

Yusei ignored that comment and walked back to his Duel Runner to put on his jacket and gloves. "Instead of making ridiculous comments, Crow…" He put on his helmet before sitting down on the red Duel Runner. "We should go and follow Akiza to see where she's heading with Estelle." He revved the engine of the Duel Runner and drove off, leaving his two foster brothers behind.

"What made him act like you, Jack?" Crow wondered when he saw Yusei leave.

"Beats me, but I know he's getting possessed by Estelle", Jack frowned.

"Guess that's how love works", Crow shrugged as he got on his Duel Runner. "You can't leave the one you like alone, especially when he/she is suddenly ambushed and injured."

Jack glanced in another direction as he put on his helmet, reminiscing the time when he had hold Carly while she had been a Dark Signer. She had gotten injured at the end of their Shadow Turbo Duel and he couldn't help but want her close to him, trying to take her pain away and keep her by his side even when she was leaving.

"I guess that's right…", Jack mumbled as he revved the engine of his Duel Runner.

"Huh? Did you say something, Jack?" Crow asked, not hearing what the blonde man said due to the loud engine.

"Nothing!" Jack yelled back with pink cheeks.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Akiza had taken Estelle to Martha's house. Of course, Martha almost started making a circus when she saw Estelle being injured. She and Dr. Schmidt had immediately taken her to the infirmary and started attending Estelle's injuries, the worst being the hole in her calf.

Akiza sat outside on the stairs, her hands intertwined in worry. She hoped Estelle was going to be okay, but what she didn't get was why those Meklords had been going after the Priestess. She felt like she had missed something.

The psychic Signer looked up when she heard running footsteps echo from the hallway. Yusei, Jack and Crow walked up to the stairs, seeing Akiza sitting there with a worried expression.

"Any news yet?" Yusei asked.

Akiza shook her head. "Nothing…"

Yusei walked up the stairs and sat down next to Akiza. Jack leant against the wall with his arms crossed and Crow leant against the railing of the stairs.

"What did those Meklords want with Estelle this time?" Crow wondered out loud.

"Well, I know I have no idea, but Estelle did mention the Meklord Emperors are aware of her powers and might want them for their own use", Jack spoke up.

That caught Akiza's attention. "Wait, what? What are you talking about?"

"Uh-oh…", Crow sweat dropped.

"Way to go, Jack…", Yusei sighed.

"What? Should I have not mentioned that?" Jack arched an eyebrow, but his facial expression changed into a guilty one when he saw Akiza's furious expression. "Oops…"

"Are you saying you know about this situation?" Akiza asked angrily. "And you haven't told me or the twins?"

"W-Well…", Jack cold sweated, not finding the words.

"It was Estelle who told us about her speculations about the current circumstances", Yusei told Akiza. "The reason why she didn't tell you and the twins is because she wanted to wait. Why she wanted to wait, I don't know, but we respected her wish."

"After what happened tonight, I wouldn't be surprised if she decided to tell us all the truth once she's up", Crow said.

Just then the door to the infirmary opened, grabbing the four Signers' attention. Dr. Schmidt and Martha stepped outside while removing the masks and gloves they had used while attending Estelle.

Akiza stood up immediately. "How's Estelle? Is she alright?"

"She suffered quite a damage in her calf", Dr. Schmidt replied. "Luckily, the bone wasn't damaged and no major arteries and vein were hit. She'll have a slight limp for probably the rest of her life."

The four Signers lightly grimaced at the bad news, but they were still happy to hear Estelle was going to be all right.

"Before you ask, she's asleep", Martha spoke up. "So if you want to speak to her, you have to do that next day when she wakes up or feels the strength to call you. She did suffer slight blood loss, so she needs to recover."

"Okay then…", Akiza sighed. She rubbed her forehead before walking down the stairs. "I'm going home then."

"Want a lift?" Yusei asked.

Akiza shook her head. "No thanks. I'll ride home with Black Rose Dragon." With that said, she left the house.

Yusei stepped up to the doorway of the infirmary and peeked inside. He saw the curtains around the bed where Estelle slept were blocking the view for privacy. He sighed deeply through his nose, happy to know Estelle was in safety.

But he felt like more questions than answers were showing up lately. What did those Meklord Emperors want with Estelle and her powers? Did the leaders crave them like the Dark Signers had before? Or was it something else?

Whatever it was, Yusei was determined to help and protect Estelle, even if it meant he had to get injured and hurt like Estelle was just now.


	38. Kidnapping and French Toast

**Hello there, guys! I've been thinking lately… Many of you seem to like Yusei/Estelle shipping, so I decided to try giving the shipping a name. I'll write up a couple of shipping names that I come up with and I want to hear you guys' opinion which one would suit them best. Or if you have other ideas yourselves, I'd be happy to hear them.**

**Starparticle shipping**

**Shootingstar shipping**

**By the way, I often had a hard time understanding what Sherry said due to her French accent, so I will skip most of her dialogues in this chapter.**

**And sorry for the long chapter; but I think it turned out wonderful. Full with serious thoughts, several points of views and some fluff. ;)**

**(P.S. Sorry about the weird title of the chapter; I couldn't stop myself typing that. xD)**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 38: Kidnapping and French Toast**

My leg still hurt after the incident with the Meklord army a couple of days ago. I was able to walk…more likely limp, but I got ordered by Dr. Schmidt not to overdo myself so I was banned from my usual training to strengthen my Priestess powers. I was able to keep babysitting since I always got a ride by my dragons so I didn't have to strain my injury.

My friends had contacted me and asked if I was okay which I said yes and I needed some alone-time to gather my thoughts and how to explain everything about their hidden powers from the beginning to the end for the Signers.

I was walking down the hallway in Martha's house when the home phone started ringing. I turned around and limped over to the nightstand where the phone was with a telephone book and notepaper next to it. I picked up the receiver and held it against my right ear. "Martha's daycare. How may I help you?"

There was this deep voice, a man's voice, who asked me if I could come over to his house to babysit his child for a couple of hours since he got an emergency call from his job this morning and didn't want to leave the child alone in the house.

For some reason I got goosebumps by the voice, feeling something was off, but I shook it off and wrote down the address to look it up on the map that was placed next to the phone. Once I found the street and where it was located in New Domino City, I prepared my bag with my storybooks (actually notebooks) and Deck to entertain the child. I told Martha where I was going and brought the note with the address.

I summoned Element Dragon and told him where to go. Element Dragon had a slight bad sense of direction, so I guided him patiently to the street where the house of the man was located.

Soon we found the street and the house. Element Dragon landed on the street and lowered his body so I could jump down. I made sure to not land with my injured leg first which was difficult, but I managed to land on my left foot.

I turned to Element Dragon and rubbed his chin, making him purr in delight. "Thank you, Element Dragon." Element Dragon purred as reply before he returned to his card in my Deck.

I looked at the house in front of me, suddenly feeling nervous. My sixth sense warned me that this was a trap. Wait… What if this was the trap that was meant for Yusei when he got kidnapped by that man…?

I heard the engine of a Duel Runner echo in the street. I looked to the right and spotted Yusei and his red Duel Runner.

"När man talar om trollen… (Speak of the devil…)", I mumbled.

Yusei braked next to me and removed his helmet before looking at me with a surprised expression. "Estelle? What are you doing here?"

"A man called and asked me to come over to babysit his child while he was away due to an emergency concerning his job", I replied. "What about you?"

Yusei stood up from the Duel Runner and picked up his toolbox from the compartment under the seat. "I was called to fix something in this house. Are you sure _you_ are at the right house?" I noticed how he carried his toolbox extremely carefully. It was even taped thickly with duct tape.

"I'm absolutely sure", I nodded. "I checked the address on a map and everything."

"Well, guess we both have a job to do together then", Yusei said. "How's your leg?"

I glanced down on my injured leg. "It still hurts even when I walk with it, but it's healing."

"I'm glad to hear that", Yusei smiled, but suddenly looked surprised. He turned away his head from me as if he tried to hide his facial expression from me.

"Yusei?" I asked worriedly.

Yusei turned back to me, some red shade still remaining on his cheeks. "It's nothing…" He walked up head to the house, but stopped and looked over his shoulder as he waited for me. "You know, you can grab on my shoulder if it helps you."

I shook my head as I limped over to him. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm fine. I had an injury before with my right ankle back in my world years ago and I had live with the pain for more than two years. This is nothing."

"Two years…?" Yusei mumbled in surprise.

"The doctors in my country never took their patients seriously", I said. "But it's nothing to worry about now."

The two of us walked up to the door before Yusei rang on the doorbell. We waited for someone to open it, but instead we heard a man crying for help. I started banging on the door when it turned out it was unlocked. Yusei rushed ahead inside as I followed him as fast as I could.

I observed how the house looked empty as I ran through the hallway, reaching the room where Yusei had found a man with a black suit on the floor with his face down.

"Hey! Are you okay?" Yusei shook the man. "Mister?!"

I knelt down next to Yusei as the man turned around revealing shady glasses and a smirk on his face. "Get 'em, boys!" he shouted.

I went immediately to grab Yusei and protect his head when we got ambushed by three masked men behind us. I felt a baseball bat hit my head, knocking me into the empty darkness with Yusei's cry in the background.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV**

I woke up feeling my head pounding. I slowly sat up on my knees before rubbing the back of my head, feeling a bump forming.

"A bump…", I groaned in slight pain.

I looked around to see I was in a small but dark room. The only thing that made it different was the floor was warm and vibrating, like it was moving. My hand traveled on the floor to touch a hand. My eyes hadn't adjusted yet to the darkness, but I could still see the familiar brown wavy hair of my secret crush.

"Estelle?" I spoke up.

Estelle laid unconscious on the floor, her glasses still on her face. I reached out my hand and touched her right arm. Once I made the contact, my Mark started glowing. I watched Estelle's Mark glowing in response as she started to stir, slowly opening her eyes.

"Yusei…?" Estelle mumbled as she sat up on her knees, adjusting her glasses.

"Are you okay, Estelle?" I asked worriedly while placing a hand on her shoulder.

Estelle looked at me with a nod. "I think so. My head hurts and I think I got a bump. What about you?" She rubbed the back of her head.

"Got a bump too, but otherwise fine", I replied as we both stood up, my hand still on Estelle's shoulder. "Where are we?"

Estelle grimaced lightly. "This is what I feared."

"Feared what?" I asked.

"We're both trapped in a truck. I remember the episode when you got kidnapped by someone, but I don't remember who's behind it."

"A truck?" I repeated.

"But it's too dark…", Estelle mumbled.

She reached out her right hand and made some kind of move with her fingers. It was only then I realized how elegantly she moved them, like she had been practicing for years on how to hold her hands in a nice shape.

Estelle then snapped her fingers and held her hand so her five fingers weren't touching each other. Five small flames appeared above each fingertip, casting some light around us. Four of the flames floated to every corner of the truck and the fifth one floating in the middle.

I noticed something big covered in one of the corners of the truck. We walked over to it and I yanked the sheet off. "What's my Duel Runner doing here?"

"Your Duel Runner is quite famous, so I guess the kidnappers brought it along so it wouldn't look suspicious having it left behind by a house", Estelle said before spotting her shoulder bag next to my Duel Runner. "My bag!" She opened it and checked something. "Good, nothing's missing." She picked up her Deck and put it in the pocket of her jacket before she strapped on the bag around her shoulder.

"But I still don't understand why they kidnapped us", I said.

"_A reasonable question._"

The voice came behind us. I immediately stood in front of Estelle, but slightly relaxed when I saw it was a screen that had flipped on. It showed us a man sitting by a desk and he looked like he was the boss of those men that ambushed us.

"_I'm glad to see you finally woke up, Mr. Fudo and Ms. Malmström. I trust you found the conversation pleasant. Did you notice the mint on your pillows?_"

"Who are you people?" I asked seriously.

"_Oh, we're just a nice bunch of citizens, devoted to social justice in family values._"

"Not quite the vibe I got from those thugs at the house", I replied.

"_Oh, well, we employ some rough types. It keeps them off the streets._"

"What do you want with me and Estelle?" I asked.

"_You're an incredible Turbo Duelist, Yusei, so I'm sure you're already aware that the World Racing Grand Prix is fast approaching. I'm putting together a team to compete, and I want you on it._"

"Oh, yeah? Well, thanks, but I'm afraid I'm not available. I've already formed a team with my friends Jack and Crow. So you can just pull over and let us out, that'd be great."

The man on the screen chuckled, "_You _will_ be joining my team in one way or another, kid. You can either sign up voluntarily or we can take you to see our psychologist. He's got a fascinating way with people's minds._"

"Listen, buddy! I'm getting a little tired of your jokes!" I shouted at him.

The man slammed his fists on the desk. "_You think I'm joking? You really don't want to mess with me, my friends-_"

"You don't look that threatening", Estelle interrupted. "So why should we take you seriously?"

"Besides, why'd you kidnap Estelle too?" I asked. "She's neither a Turbo Duelist nor the Queen of Games anymore."

"_Correction; _former_ Queen of Games. You might not be aware of this, but Estelle's got quite a reputation among many Dueling companies who would pay millions of dollars to recruit her._"

I turned to Estelle. "Is that true?"

Estelle nodded lightly. "Yes. At the beginning of my living at Martha's place, I used to get invitations from those companies asking me if I'd like to join them. They did try bribing me with money, but I declined them all. I want to Duel because of the fun, not being forced and under someone's control."

"_So that is one of reasons why we decided to trick Estelle so we could grab both of you. Of course, if you, Estelle, are still refusing those offers, we won't force you into that…_"

Why did I get a bad feeling about the next sentence?

"_Instead, we will spread the rumors that you got murdered while you'll get sold in the black-market as a se-_"

Rage flowed through me before that man could even finish. I clenched my right hand, feeling it burn, and punched the screen so hard the glass shattered. The screen turned black as I moved back my fist, seeing it was surrounded by fire. I realized that fire didn't burn my hand or my clothes.

"Yusei…", Estelle spoke up in shock.

I unclenched my fist, making the fire disappear by the move. "What was that?"

"Your powers…", Estelle mumbled. "Have you been practicing in secret without telling me?"

"No… I don't even know how I did it…", I mumbled. "All I know I felt this anger rush through me and it made me want to snap that man's neck…"

"Your emotions. That's what triggered your inner powers", Estelle told me.

I looked at my hand, really surprised to hear that fire had been created by my powers. I guess I wasn't used to all the supernatural stuff around me yet, especially now when I was getting my own powers.

"Can't you use your powers to melt down the doors or something?" I asked Estelle.

"I can try", she nodded.

Estelle limped over to the door of the truck. She grabbed one of the handles and placed her other hand on the doors. I couldn't see her face, but I could tell she was concentrating. Her body started glowing in gentle crimson, but soon I heard low groans of pain coming from her. The glow around her body disappeared as if she was losing power.

"Estelle?" I walked over to her.

Estelle turned around, holding her head. She grimaced as if she was in huge pain. "I-I can't…concentrate… T-That hit on my head…triggered a headache…"

I recalled those few times Estelle suddenly got a headache. She told me she inherited not only headaches from her mother's side but also dizziness. It could happen all of a sudden for her and with no reason at all, but it could hold on for a whole day.

I grabbed Estelle and lowered us on the floor, resting our backs against the doors. "Let's rest for a moment. Maybe you can break us free after you've recovered."

Estelle nodded before she leant her head on my shoulder. I got tense for a moment for feeling her so close to me, but I relaxed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders bringing her closer to me.

"Thank you…", she whispered lowly before she took a nap. Just as she fell asleep the five flames that were floating inside the truck burned out leaving us in the dark again.

I looked at Estelle's sleeping face, feeling a wave of love and protection wash over me. I still asked myself what was it about her that made me fall in love. I knew she was special in more ways than one, but she was something more than that.

I caught the scent of gentle citrus coming from her, realizing it was perfume. The scent really suited her. I couldn't help but lean down and plant a kiss on top of her head before I rested my chin on her. I closed my eyes to enjoy the short moment I had with her, but another part of me hoped that Jack and Crow would be looking for us. Who knew how long the two of us had been gone missing.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Akiza's POV**

Mina called me at home and told me Yusei had been reported missing by Crow. I told her I wanted to come along and look for him so she drove to my family's house to pick me up. I brought my Duel Disk with me for just in case.

Mina and I kept the contact with Jack and Crow through the communicator channel. The boys suddenly started talking about lunch because Crow had to deliver food for someone. It was not time worrying about what they would eat for lunch!

"How are you talking about fast food right now? What if Crow's right and something awful's happened to Yusei?!" I shouted at those two before growling under my breath. "Man, these yahoos…!"

"I'm sure Yusei's okay", Mina said from the driver's seat next to me. "So he didn't call Crow back. No big deal."

"_Well, actually…_", Crow started. "_It's not just that. I also got this really weird message at the garage. "Your friends Yusei Fudo and Estelle Malmström have been taken. I thought you should know…" …He said and ended the call._"

"What?! Why are you just now telling us this?" I asked before I realized something. "Wait… Did you say Estelle was also taken…?" A rage erupted inside me. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US THIS SOONER!?"

"_I didn't want to freak anyone out…_", Crow cold sweated.

"Well, you just did! I am gonna cobble you when I see you!" I spat angrily.

"_I believe you mean clobber, Akiza_", Jack corrected me. "_To cobble is to make a shoe._"

"Well… Whatever! Then I'm gonna cobble up some boots and use them to kick Crow's butt!" I shouted. "Especially now when we know Estelle's in danger too and she's been a target to some evil you haven't told me about yet!"

Jack snorted, "_This Estelle thing's got you goin'. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you-_"

"Stop right there, Jack!" I roared, interrupting Jack. "Estelle was my first friend who accepted me and helped me through a lot!"

I didn't want to let anyone, not even Estelle, know what kind of feelings I held for her. Sure, she was my first friend I ever made and she helped me to see the world in a new perspective and lot more, but…

I knew it felt like a taboo, but I had never once felt anything special for a boy. Sure, I did have a slight crush on Yusei at the beginning because he did look handsome and all, but when I got to know more about him, that crush turned into a sibling love. Yusei was now more like a big brother to me like Jack and Crow. But when it came around Estelle…

Jack arched an eyebrow. "_Why're you going all defensive? All I'm saying is-_"

The screens of Jack and Crow suddenly disappeared on the monitor on the car desk.

"What's going on?" I growled.

"There's an interference-signal", Mina explained as she tried adjusting the radio. "Like someone's trying to hack into the transmission."

"_If you can hear this, a vehicle, carrying Yusei and Estelle, is a soda delivery truck traveling north on Bluehill Avon Crescent Valley. You need to stop that vehicle and rescue them before it reaches its destination_", an unknown male voice suddenly spoke up.

"Who are you? Identify yourself!" Mina told that unknown man. "This channel is reserved for Sector Security!"

"_Time is wasting._"

Then the signal disappeared, leaving us with one clue.

"What should we do?" Mina asked worriedly.

"You heard him! Move it!" I told her.

Mina nodded and drove faster to the Crescent Valley. Once we got there, we kept driving in a couple of minutes until my Mark started glowing.

"My arm's burning…", I groaned in slight pain. "Estelle and Yusei must be close by." We drove on a highway with another highway below when my eye caught something by the corner. A soda delivery truck was driving on the highway below us!

"There it is!" I called. "Get us down there, Mina! Quick! I saw a soda delivery truck!"

Mina hurried down a ramp and made it to the right file on the highway. We drove past other vehicles and approached the soda delivery truck. As we came closer, my Mark burned even stronger.

"Is that the truck?" Mina asked once we were behind it.

"That's it!" I nodded. "Estelle and Yusei are in there." I removed the seat belt and moved to the back of the vehicle to stand up properly. "Now, get us up there!"

Mina drove up to the front of the truck while mumbling something. "I feel it's my duty to tell you that it's dangerous to stand up in a moving vehicle."

I gasped when I saw no one on the driver's seat in the truck. "How about having no one behind the wheel? Is that dangerous?!" I noticed how the truck was gaining speed. "It's speeding up!" I grunted at the intense burn on my arm. "Just stay on it. I'm gonna get them out of there!"

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I woke up not so long time ago from the small catnap and noticed how Yusei had rested his head on top of mine. I blushed harder when I saw how close we were to each other and his arm resting around my shoulders. I had never been this close to a man before, but strangely I didn't feel so embarrassed that I used to be. It somehow felt like…this kind of thing was normal.

I lightly nudged Yusei with my arm, trying to wake him up. "Yusei. Yusei."

Yusei stirred and woke up as he lifted his head from mine. He rubbed his foggy eyes as I moved my head from his shoulder. Once his eyes were focused he looked down at me. "How's the headache?" he asked.

"It's a bit better", I replied, rubbing my head. "I'll try melting the door again."

Yusei nodded, "Okay." He helped me up on my feet when our arms with the Marks started burning. "What's this burning about?"

I looked on my burning Mark, feeling a familiar presence nearby which made me smile. "Someone's here to save us. I suggest we step back."

Yusei looked at me confusedly, but complied and still held me as we stepped back. Soon we heard something land on top of the truck and that something was smashing the doors. The whole truck shook by each smash.

Soon the doors were smashed enough to show us a sight of a car following us with Mina and Akiza with a Duel Disk. Fresh air also flowed into the slight warm truck.

"Akiza?!" Yusei exclaimed in surprise.

"Hey, did someone in there order a rescue?" Akiza asked with a bright smile.

Just then the truck started driving even faster, making me and Yusei nearly lose our balance by the sudden action. Luckily, none of us fell down, but Mina and Akiza were struggling on keeping up. The truck then moved left to right and right to left as if it tried shaking off Rose Tentacles which it eventually did.

"Mina, try to get closer!" Yusei called.

The two of us pushed the doors so hard we could until they were completely open, but barely hang on the hinges.

"Estelle! Yusei!" Akiza reached out her hand, trying to grab one of us.

"No, Aki! We can get out of here on our own now!" I called before I turned to the man next to me. "Yusei, prepare your Runner."

Yusei looked at me and nodded before running back to prepare the Duel Runner. I stayed by the doors watching how Akiza desperately tried to grab my hand, except the door to my right was blocking her. She jumped from the Sector Security patrol car and held onto the broken door.

"Aki!" my eyes widened in shock. "Are you crazy?!" I grabbed Akiza's hand and turned the door towards me. I pulled her inside the truck just in time when the door loosened from the hinges and crashed on the highway. It almost crashed onto Mina's car, but she managed to pull over in time. Akiza's Duel Disk got knocked off of her arm due to the fallen door, thankfully missing her arm.

Akiza had also crashed onto me which had made me crash on the floor of the truck. We both groaned in pain before Akiza moved off me so I could sit up.

"That was reckless, Aki! You could have ended up getting hurt!" I scolded her angrily.

"Well, excuse me for being so worried about you!" Akiza replied before she threw herself on me, giving me a hug. "I'm just glad you're safe. You have no idea how scared I got when I heard you got kidnapped too."

My small anger at Akiza melted away before I smiled and returned her hug.

"Were you even worried about me, Akiza?" Yusei asked in the background while rolling up his Duel Runner.

"Nope!" Akiza smirked, grinning like a little mischievous girl.

"Aki…", I sweat dropped.

The truck was moving more violently now. Akiza and I nearly fell down again when we tried standing up.

"We have to get out of here and fast", I told my friends.

"The problem is only one of you can ride along on my Duel Runner", Yusei said.

"Akiza, you go with him", I told the girl.

"No way am I gonna hang on that thing!" Akiza protested.

Yusei threw her a spare helmet. "I hope you like red." He put on his own helmet.

"But what about you, Estelle?" Akiza asked me worriedly.

"I'll be fine", I told her. "The biggest priority right now is your guys' safety."

"But-", Akiza started.

"No arguments!" I shouted seriously.

Akiza flinched at my voice. She nodded and put on the helmet before she climbed onto Yusei's Duel Runner and sat down. Yusei turned on the engine of the Runner as I moved aside to clear the way for them.

"Hold on as tight as you can, Akiza!" Yusei told the girl.

"Okay, fine! Look, I'll admit it. I've never ridden a Duel Runner before, okay? I've got a thing with superfast moving objects-", Akiza rabbled excuses due to the nervousness.

"Here we go!" Yusei called, but narrowed his eyes when he spotted something outside. "What's this? Reinforcement?"

I looked outside and saw a white/yellow Duel Runner following the truck. A Turbo Duelist with a helmet that completely covered its face sat on it.

"Don't worry about that! Just get out of here!" I told Yusei.

Yusei nodded and revved the engine. He drove up ahead and jumped out of the truck with Akiza holding on tight. As soon as they got outside, I moved to the doors while holding on as I watched the two Duel Runners driving away preparing a Turbo Duel.

"Nu är det min tur… (Now it's my turn…)", I mumbled before I braced myself.

The truck was about to drive through the railing when I jumped out as high as I could while a light shot out from the pocket of my jacket. The light formed Tiger Dragon below me before I landed safely on him.

I looked behind my shoulder, watching the truck fall down into the ocean. That was certainly a close one.

"Thank you, Tiger Dragon", I clapped the dragon on the back of his neck. "Now, follow Yusei and that other Turbo Duelist."

Tiger Dragon roared before following the two Turbo Duelists from the air. I spotted a black Duel Runner close by, but it drove away before I had the chance to see the driver's face. Oh, well, that wasn't my biggest concern right now.

Tiger Dragon reached the Turbo Duelists just in time when I heard them yell the command words to commence the Turbo Duel.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The Turbo Duel once came to a halt when the French Duelist braked to reveal itself. The Turbo Duelist removed the helmet to reveal a woman with long blonde hair and green eyes. She was Sherry LeBlanc and she wanted to "steal" Yusei for her team for the WRGP.

Of course, the Turbo Duel continued with lots of talking in the meantime. Before that, Yusei had asked Akiza if she wanted to stay with him through the whole Turbo Duel or join me on Tiger Dragon. Akiza wanted to join along Yusei and so she did.

I followed the whole Turbo Duel from above with Tiger Dragon. Once in a while, Sherry did glance up at me before she focused on the Turbo Duel, as if to see if I was still following them.

I did hear the whole story of Sherry's childhood and how Yliaster killed her parents back in France. So that was the reason why Sherry wanted Yusei in her team; to take down Yliaster for revenge since Sherry heard rumors they would show up in the WRGP, and get answers why Yliaster targeted her family. Of course, she did ask Yusei what was the purpose of his Dueling and why he wanted to Turbo Duel in the Grand Prix. I guess she wanted to make him think for the reason why he was Dueling in the first place. It was kind of a psychological question.

Just as Yusei was about to Special summon Stardust Dragon, a new truck drove through a bridge above the two Turbo Duelists and headed down towards Sherry! On the top of the bridge stood that man Yusei and I had seen on the screen before with three masked goons smirking with an evil glance.

Akiza snatched the card of Stardust Dragon from Yusei's hand and used her psychic powers to summon the dragon. Stardust Dragon materialized and stopped the truck from falling until both Sherry and Yusei drove by. Once they did, Stardust Dragon let go of the truck and let it collapse on the Turbo Duel course. But because of that interference, the Turbo Duel had to come to an end.

The boss and his three goons tried to run away, but I quickly called forth Sun Dragon Inti who grabbed each of them by their collars with his mouths. Tiger Dragon flew down to them as I smirked at the group. "Going somewhere?" I asked.

The Boss struggled against Sun Dragon Inti's grip. "Let go of me at once!"

"Not until you're getting the punishment for kidnapping me and Yusei", I said while looking over my shoulder to see Sherry's butler who I forgot the name on.

"Mademoiselle, allow me to do the honor", the butler bowed.

I nodded and turned to my Synchro dragon. "Let go of them, but give them a little pain."

Sun Dragon Inti nodded and lifted his four heads before he let go of the four men. They landed hard on their backs before the butler took care of them.

Tiger Dragon and Sun Dragon Inti flew down to the Turbo Duelists where they waited for me. Tiger Dragon landed on the Turbo Duel course and allowed me to get off. Akiza had also dismounted Yusei's Duel Runner as I walked over to them.

"Is everyone okay?" I asked.

"Yeah", Akiza nodded while holding the spare helmet.

"Sherry, are you okay?" Yusei asked.

"I am… Thanks to your…friend", Sherry nodded, her eyes being focused on Akiza.

It was then Sherry's butler arrived on his Duel Runner. He was certainly fast with his work.

"Did you take care of those thugs, Elsworth?" Sherry asked him.

"But of course", the butler nodded before turning his eyes on Yusei. "So, this is Yusei? A pleasure to finally meet you." Yusei remained silent.

"Well, Yusei Fudo, if the Duel would have continued on its proper course, I'd imagine Stardust Dragon would have vanquished Sacred Knight Joan. And then Speed Warrior would have attacked me directly. But that would have left me with 50 Life Points giving me another opportunity to defeat you."

"Yep", Yusei nodded. "That's right. And so the whole thing would have come down to your next draw."

Sherry smiled pleasantly and put her fingers on her Deck. The air suddenly felt so full with tension until Sherry withdrew her hand. "I won't draw. Perhaps another day. There's a long road ahead, mon ami." She revved the engine of her Duel Runner. "Until next time, Yusei Fudo and Estelle Malmström. And you." She turned her attention to Akiza. "I am in your debt. I hope to ride against you one day, or _with_ you." What surprised me was that Sherry winked at Akiza.

Akiza gasped loudly in her embarrassment and even blushed hard. This was the moment I wondered if Sherry was a lesbian. I didn't remember if it was official back in my dimension about Sherry's sexuality.

"Au revoir!" Sherry called before she and Elsworth left on their Duel Runners.

Sun Dragon Inti and Tiger Dragon made some sound behind us as the three of us was all quiet, deep in our own thoughts. Akiza was probably thinking about trying to learn how to Turbo Duel and Yusei about his reason why he was Dueling.

As for me… I had a feeling my true purpose in this dimension was to eliminate Yliaster for good. It made me wonder if this whole adventure would go as far as to the last Arc; Ark Cradle. If that was true… Then I had a feeling it would end up bigger than from what I had read about the episodes back in my world.

I looked down at the palm of my hand, imagining a sword resting on it. Since I had been blessed with powers that allowed me weapons, I feared there would also be a bloodbath in the end. A shiver ran down my spine on that thought. This adventure was not only darker than the original but also more brutal. I prayed I wouldn't have to spill blood, but I promised myself to protect my friends no matter the cost of my life.


	39. Dress-Hunting for WRGP Party

**You know, guys… About the shipping name for Yusei and Estelle that I mentioned in the last chapter… I'm thinking of using ****Starparticleshipping****, but I don't know if there is a Yusei/OC shipping that is already called like that. If it's so, I'll change the name for mine, but I need to come up with a better name.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 39: Dress-Hunting for WRGP Party**

Martha had been really worrying about me lately. She got the word from Mina that I got kidnapped with Yusei, but we managed to get out of the claws of our kidnappers safely. Martha was glad that both of us were okay, but it didn't stop her from turning into an overprotective mother-hen.

The first week in March was actually quiet. No abducts or kidnapping or ambushes… No signs of bad guys. I finally had the chance to relax and not walking around all tense and keep looking over my shoulders to see if someone would attack me. My injured leg had also healed after the ambush with the Meklord army.

I was sitting in the dining room, working on my gift for Yusei. I had bought a royal-blue toolbox, but since it looked so dull being one-colored, I used silver paint to color some decorations like a shooting star and small stars. I had several paint brushes in different sizes next to a cup of warm water and a small glass jar with the silver paint. I also had a slight damp cloth to wipe the paint brushes after using them.

I had a sketch to the left of the toolbox where I had planned the patterns on the toolbox and glanced at it to see if I painted the stars correctly. I was so focused on the work that I never noticed Martha walking past me to get to the kitchen. The children were playing in the daycare room and had been told not to disturb me while I was working which I was very grateful to.

I had just finished my handiwork when my smartphone started vibrating in the pocket of my jeans. I fished it up and saw it was Akiza calling, so I picked up the call. "Hello?"

"_Hi, Estelle!_" Akiza's cheerful voice said.

"Hi, Aki. What's up?"

"_Well, you know about the WRGP party that will occur this Friday?_"

"Yeah?"

"_Sooo… We're going shopping for the party!_"

"Shopping? As in buying dresses?"

"_Yep! So, can we meet up at the New Domino shopping center in thirty minutes?_"

"Sure. But wait… I barely have any money to buy a dress at the moment."

I had spent almost every saved penny on buying the toolbox for Yusei after I had bought what I needed for Crow and Jack's presents.

"_Don't worry about that! Just grab your bag and we'll meet by the New Domino shopping center. Ciao!_" With that said, Akiza ended the call.

I looked at my smartphone in confusion. Akiza sounded a bit out of character, but at the same time very happy. Did something happen at school or did she receive good news? I shrugged and put back the phone in my pocket before I put away the stuff I had been using.

I walked with the toolbox up to my room and placed it on the desk to let the silver paint air-dry. I decided to go and wash my hands since I had some silver paint on them.

I washed my hands clean in the bathroom and went back to my room to grab my bag that held my Deck, wallet and other small things. I picked up my red jacket and put it on before strapping on my bag. I placed my smartphone in the pocket of my jacket before I headed downstairs.

I met Blister in the hallway. He was heading to the daycare room with a tray of snacks for the children. "Where're you going, Estelle?" he asked.

"Out shopping with Akiza", I replied. "She called and told me we should go and buy dresses for the WRGP party on Friday."

"But I thought you said you had spent all your money on the guys' presents?" Blister arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but Akiza told me to not to worry about that."

"Hm… Well, I'll tell Martha where you've disappeared to so she won't panic. She's quite protective of you."

I chuckled at the fact. "She's a wonderful foster mother, but she doesn't have to worry so much about me."

"With all the things that are going on around you, everyone would get worried for you."

I shrugged lightly. "Well… I'm not really used to that..."

It was actually true. As I had mentioned many times before, I didn't have any friends back in my dimension. The only ones who ever worried about me were my parents. I did often get sad by the truth that no one except my parents worried about me. During my childhood, whenever I got hurt or bullied or was absent from school, none of the children even wondered how I was doing or asked if I was okay. I grew up with demons and ghosts following me and they were still in my head, but rarely showed up now when my life had changed since I came here to this dimension.

"Not used to what?" Blister asked.

"It's nothing", I shook my head. "Well, I'm heading out. See you later."

"Just don't shop until you're broke!" Blister said with a playful voice.

"Unlike other women who are crazy in shopping, I know my limits!" I retorted back playfully.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I flew with Masked Dragon to New Domino City and landed in a park close to the mall. Of course, there were people in the park so they looked up from their doing when they saw Masked Dragon land on the grass. I ignored the looks and called back Masked Dragon to his card.

I walked through the park and up on the busy streets. Children and students were on their way home after school or just walking around to have some fun instead of doing their homework.

I was deep inside excited to go shopping for a party with a friend. I had been going on girl hangouts with Akiza and Carly before, but this was a new experience for me. Back in my dimension, I never had a friend to hang out with and go shopping whatever we needed. I always went on shopping with my mother which I had nothing against with, but it grew a bit boring with only going around with her. I did miss having friends in my world.

Coming to this dimension had gained me a lot. I was really afraid of losing it all when it would be time for me to return to my world.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I spotted Akiza standing in front of the mall. She was wearing her school uniform and holding her schoolbag with both her hands. Men, young and old, were casting glances at her, looking at her like she was either the most beautiful woman they had seen or an object to just have fun with and nothing else.

I walked up to Akiza and called her name. "Akiza."

Akiza turned to my direction, a wide smile pasting on her face. "Estelle! I'm so glad you could come!"

"I'm looking forward to look for dresses together", I nodded.

The two of us walked inside the shopping center. The building had around ten floors with small shops and boutiques selling clothes, shoes, accessories and everything you could find in a usual shopping center.

"Believe it or not, but this is my first time going shopping with a girl friend like this", Akiza told me as we went up with the escalator.

"Me too", I confessed. "So let us both experience this together."

Akiza nodded with a slight shade of pink on her cheeks. "Let's."

We made it to the seventh floor and walked into an expensive-looking boutique with dresses and outfits for parties. The prices were like only the royalty could buy them.

"Ehh… Aki?" I spoke up.

"Yeah?" Akiza asked while checking a couple of dresses hanging on a rack.

"How can we even pay for just one dress in this shop? Compared to a dress with the size of my wallet, it doesn't even cover a hundredth of the price."

Akiza chuckled before she turned to me with a card in her hand. "Don't worry about the price. Dad gave me his platinum card when I told him this morning I was planning on going shopping dresses for the party with you."

"A platinum card…?" I gaped in shock before I composed myself. "Aki… This is simply too much. I can't let you pay my dress…"

Akiza pondered for a second before her eyes lightened up by an idea. "How about this, Estelle? I'll buy you a dress with shoes and accessories, and afterwards I'll tell you what I want in return from you. Deal?"

I thought about it for a couple of seconds before I nodded. "Okay. Deal."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I didn't find anything good in the expensive boutique even if there were gorgeous dresses there, but they were just too much for the party. When I told Akiza that, she agreed so we left the shop. We went to a cheaper boutique that held reasonable prices in my taste for simple but beautiful dresses.

We both picked out several dresses to try and give each other pointers on which dress suited us best. Akiza was really picky with strapless dresses in either magenta or red colors. I was first focusing on red and black dresses with straps since I never felt comfortable with strapless dresses.

Akiza actually made up her mind quickly, choosing the dress that she had been wearing in the anime back in my dimension. She walked back with the dresses she had tried and to look for gloves.

I was struggling between two dresses; one crimson red dress with straps and a long gap on the back, revealing much of my back and a dark blue strapped dress that covered my whole back and had white decorations around the collar with a deep cleavage and tiny white sequins at the edge of the dress.

I was wearing the crimson dress when I heard a knock on the door of the changing room behind me. "How's it going, Estelle?" Akiza asked.

"Actually, I'm debating between two dresses", I told her.

"Come out and show me the dresses so I can help you with the decision", Akiza suggested.

"Okay."

I stepped out of the changing room to see Akiza stand in front of me with her arms crossed. I spun around slowly to show her the dress from every direction.

Akiza shook her head. "No. This is too seductive for the party."

I nodded in agreement before I snuck back to the changing room and switched to the dark blue dress. I walked out and made a slow spin before looking at Akiza's expression.

She was actually blushing with big eyes before she realized what she was doing and shook her head. "That dress is perfect for you!"

I looked at the dress before nodding in agreement. "I feel more comfortable in this one too. I think white gloves would go along with the dress."

"Change back to your clothes and both of us can go look for gloves", Akiza suggested.

I complied and changed back to my clothes and stepped out of the changing room with both dresses. I hung back the crimson dress on the rack where I found it before I followed Akiza to the section where the boutique had gloves.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Akiza and I ended up both buying white elbow-length gloves for our dresses before we went to look for shoes, small bags to carry essential stuff for the party and eventually accessories. We had a hard time finding the perfect pair of shoes for me since I had big feet, hence my tall length.

Akiza bought some earrings while I skipped the jewelry part. I decided to only wear the necklace I got from Yusei and that's it.

Akiza and I were sitting by a booth in a café with our shopping bags, eating some snacks after the shopping. I was a bit tired mentally, but at the same time happy. I didn't know shopping with a friend could be tiring, but also pretty exciting to give each other points and opinions.

I was eating a piece of strawberry shortcake with black tea while Akiza was having rose tea and a piece of chocolate/raspberry cake. I enjoyed the taste of the strawberries and ate up my piece of cake pretty fast. I saved my whole cup of tea to the last to enjoy it slowly.

But a question remained in my head. What did Akiza want from me in exchange for the dress she bought for me?

Speaking of Akiza, she was avoiding my glance as she looked like she was in a deep thought. I let her be and waited for her to speak up when she was ready. I sipped on the tea, feeling the warm liquid run down my dry throat.

I placed down the cup on the table when Akiza finally looked up at me. "I now know what I want", she announced.

I leant back against the couch I sat on. "Well then… Tell me and I'll try get whatever you want."

Akiza giggled, "It's not about an item, Estelle. I want you to come over to my house on Friday and have a sleepover after the party."

I blinked confusedly before I repeated what Akiza just said. "A sleepover?"

"Yeah!" Akiza nodded excitedly. "You can come over a couple of hours before the party so we can prepare our dresses together and help each other out. After the party, we'll have a sleepover for as long as we want since next day will be Saturday, meaning no school!" She rubbed the back of her head with pink cheeks. "I…heard from other girls in my class how they have sleepovers at their homes in the weekends and since I don't have any friends at school, except Leo and Luna, I want to experience a sleepover…"

"Okay", I agreed on the terms. "I've never been on a sleepover before myself."

Akiza looked at me with widen eyes. "You're kidding me?"

"No", I shook my head. "I never had friends who I did stuff with like sleepovers or shopping together in the city."

"So, we're on the sleepover then?" Akiza asked to be sure.

"Yep", I smiled.

"Yes!" Akiza exclaimed in happiness. "Come to my home around noon so we can have some time to relax and talk before the party."

"Got it", I nodded.

We finished our snacks and headed out to the fresh air and the mob of people walking on the streets. Akiza and I waved goodbye before we went on separate ways. I held my shopping bags in one hand as I headed to the park where Masked Dragon had taken me.

The park was getting quiet since the time was around 5 PM. The sun was almost down in the horizon, coloring the sky like a painting with orange, pink and dark blue shades. The March weather was still a bit chilly in the early evening, but I could feel it was getting warmer for each day that passed by.

I called out Masked Dragon again and flew on him back home. I was holding the shopping bags as close as I could to my chest, so I wouldn't accidently drop them. I was looking forward to the sleepover. I actually felt like an excited high school girl while thinking about it.

But my thoughts returned on Akiza. I had noticed she had been acting strangely around me lately. She was often blushing, sometimes avoiding my glance, stood very close to me, even clinging onto my arm and acted a bit out of character, like now.

Maybe Akiza truly considered me as a big sister and loved me like one, but what if she was…?

I shook off the thought. Akiza used to like Yusei back in the anime. She only blushed when Sherry flirted with her because anyone would blush if they got flirted with, including myself.

I suddenly got a stab-feeling in my heart. I had almost forgotten about Akiza liking Yusei, but I didn't really see them interact really close as if none of them had a crush on each other. Or maybe it was still the first stage of just being friends.

But if Yusei ended up liking Akiza more than a friend, I wouldn't hesitate to step back from the close relationship I had with the man now. I wanted Yusei to be happy and if he found the happiness in Akiza, I would let him go.

My love for Yusei was strong enough to let go of him and let him find his happiness. That was one of my promises I had made back in the garden of Rex Goodwin's mansion when our group had stayed over before main event of the Dark Signers.

But now, I had two things to look forward to; the WRGP party and the sleepover. However, I knew the party would go crashing down…


	40. WRGP Party – Part 1

**It's party-time, guys! The long wait for the WRGP party is finally here! A link of Estelle's look for this chapter is up on my profile as usual!**

**I also took the time to go through every single chapter I've written so far of this story to correct some minor errors and make small changes here and there.**

**Plus I've made a decision; the official shipping name for Yusei and Estelle is now Starparticleshipping!**

**This chapter will begin in Yusei's point of view, starting with the nightmare he had. Just a quick warning; there will be some blood.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 40: WRGP Party – Part 1**

_I was Turbo Dueling against a man who was very tough. He had just Tribute summoned Tiger Dragon and took out my two set Trap cards and destroyed my Speed Warrior. My Life Points sunk to 300. I was barely holding on._

_I drew my next card which was Debris Dragon. I used the Tuner Monster to Special summon Sonic Chick from the Graveyard and tuned Debris Dragon with Shield Warrior and Sonic Chick to Synchro summon Stardust Dragon._

_Just as I thought I had the advantage, the Turbo Duelist I was challenging changed into the Ghost while Tiger Dragon changed into Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity with all the five parts to complete the Monster._

_I felt my heart throb in fear, knowing what would happen next. It was the Ghost's turn and he activated the effect of Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity to equip Stardust Dragon with it. The scene of Stardust Dragon getting captured by the Meklord was the same as I had seen in the reality. I cried for Stardust Dragon as I saw it being "swallowed" into that strange symbol on the Meklord's chest. The machine Duel Monster's attack points increased to 5000 because of my Stardust Dragon's added attack points._

"Stardust Dragon, no!"_ I cried out._

_It was then Sherry's words echoed around me, telling me to find my purpose of Dueling and that I could become stronger if I joined her team. I started wondering if what she said was true._

"It's over now, Yusei Fudo!"_ the Ghost laughed evilly, snapping me out from my trance. _"Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity, attack him directly!"

_I knew this was going to be the end. I watched with fear as Stardust Dragon's corrupted eyes glared at me before the Meklord unleased my dragon. But a crimson pentagram shield appeared and blocked Stardust Dragon._

_I drove up ahead and skidded to a halt before looking up to see Estelle in her Warrior Form holding back the corrupted Stardust Dragon with the shield. _"Estelle?!"_ I yelled in shock._

_Estelle looked over her shoulder while smiling gently at me. _"Everything's going to be okay. Just be yourself."

_I was taken back by surprise at that sentence. Before I could even ask what she meant by that she threw back Stardust Dragon and jumped up in the air, her wings flapping with feathers falling down. She raised her right hand and summoned a katana with a feather and flew towards Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity. Stardust Dragon was still outside, but was held back by those strings that came from the Meklord's chest._

_Estelle raised the katana and released a shockwave in the shape of a blade and ripped the strings, releasing Stardust Dragon from the machine Monster's control. Stardust Dragon's eyes returned to normal and roared as in thanking Estelle for saving him._

_I felt a smile reach my lips, but my eyes widened when I saw Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity charging energy in its chest. _"Estelle, look out!"_ I screamed._

_Estelle turned back to the Meklord and put up a new pentagram shield in time as the Meklord released the energy beam. The shield was big enough to protect Estelle, but I could see how she got pushed back in the air as the energy beam ran above and below her._

_I removed my helmet and threw it away before dismounting the Duel Runner and ran towards the battle. Stardust Dragon followed me in the air above me. I tried activating my own powers, but the feeling in my hand and heart never came. I cursed and looked up…_

_To see the pentagram shield shatter into pieces, causing the energy beam to hit Estelle. There weren't even a scream coming from her as her body slowly got destroyed in the energy beam. The only thing I could do was to watching the scene in front of me in disbelief._

"NO!"_ I cried out, feeling something inside me getting broken._

_The Ghost's laugh echoed around me as the Meklord turned its attention at me. It started charging energy again and sent it towards me. But before I could even comprehend what was happening, Stardust Dragon flew up and took the hit instead. I snapped out of it and watched with widen eyes how blood poured out from Stardust Dragon's chest like a fountain. The dragon fell down backwards and crashed on the concrete in front of me, a pool of blood appearing underneath it. The blood reached my boots and spread even further._

_For the first time in a long time, I had never felt so much fear inside me. Last time was with Kalin after our first Shadow Turbo Duel, but this scene… It was brutal… Worse than the time with the Dark Signers._

_This had to be a nightmare. I had to wake up sooner or else I would snap._

_I closed my eyes and tried concentrating on waking up, but the Ghost's evil laugh made it hard for me. The Meklord approached me, but I strained to wake up._

_Suddenly there were a bright crimson light appearing in front of me. I opened my eyes and got blinded by the light before it swallowed me._

**XXXXXXXXXX**

My eyes snapped open, and this time it was my real eyes. I slowly sat up, feeling how my pyjamas got damp by the cold sweat that ran down my body. I lifted my hand to my chest, feeling the heart throb harder than usual.

This nightmare…was one of the worst I ever had. I wasn't the person who liked watching horror movies at nights, but this… I knew the nightmare had been based on the Turbo Duel with the Ghost, but seeing Estelle being killed and Stardust Dragon bleeding… Was it my fear that made me have those brutal thoughts or was it some kind of warning?

Once I felt my heartbeat stabilize, I stood up from the bed and walked over to the desk. I turned on the desk lamp and turned my eyes on a photo frame that stood next to my laptop. The photo frame held a picture, taken by Carly, of me and everyone else in the group, the background being the stage when Estelle had performed for the tag-team tournament celebration when the Daedalus Bridge had connected New Domino City and Satellite. Estelle stood in the middle with her head tilted to the left, eyes closed and a smile on her lips. The twins stood in front of her, Leo side-hugging Luna. Akiza stood next to Estelle on the left, a hand resting on the brunette's shoulder while Crow stood on the right. You could clearly see the height differences between him and Estelle. Estelle was certainly taller than him. Jack stood behind Crow with a small smirk and arms crossed and I stood behind Akiza slightly smiling lightly at the camera.

That day had been truly memorable and it was all thanks to Estelle and her idea. It felt like New Domino City and Satellite came closer together thanks to the tag-team tournament and the small concert Estelle held at the opening.

I smiled at Estelle's smile on the photo. She was truly one of a kind. She was one of the first kind people I met in New Domino City and didn't look down at me, even though she wasn't from this world. And she kept showering that kindness to everyone in the group and helped them through their hardship, especially Akiza. But she always kept sacrificing herself to protect us and other people from danger.

Estelle treated all of us as if we were her family. She was kind, had a big heart, intelligent, loyal, expressed her love in her special way, sometimes funny with her comments, determined to protect us from danger, even if it meant she had to get hurt, and a lot more. I recalled her telling me before how she was always a bit scared to get misjudged and misunderstood because of her autistic behaviors and be thrown aside because she was different. Her old demons from the time she was bullied and mistreated by other children made her lose self-confidence and the shadows of the past kept coming back even now when she was an adult.

I felt my smile fade away when I realized something. I set down the photo frame and placed the palms of my hands on the table to slightly leaning forward. A small sigh escaped my lips as I kept my eyes straight on the desk.

Estelle wasn't from this world… What if she wanted to return to her dimension? If she did want to go back to the world where she belonged, how would I be able to take it?

I knew there were other women out there in the wide world, but… I felt kind of home in Estelle's presence. She had helped me a lot with so many things and I didn't mean by helping with the engine prototype. She listened to me when I had something I wanted to share and talk about. She gave me advice what I should do. She comforted me when I felt down and more than that.

I turned my eyes back at the photo and felt like I had to do something about this. But… I didn't feel like I was ready yet to confess to her. What if she turned me down and things would be awkward between us? Another part told me not to confess at all because she could return to her world and it would be slightly easier for me to move on in life. But yet a third part of me told me to confess or I would regret it for the rest of my life. Which choice was the right one?

I let out a frustrated grunt before I rubbed my forehead and decided to go back to sleep. It was 3 AM and tonight would be the WRGP party where my team and the others were invited.

I turned off the desk lamp and went back to my bed, soon falling asleep without nightmares this time.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I had packed my stuff in a bag yesterday evening, so I was ready to head to Akiza's family house around noon. I had washed myself and my hair yesterday as well to be fresh for the party.

Akiza had called me in the morning, telling me I had to come around 3 PM instead. Her father was expecting guests and it would've been better if I came a bit later.

Marta had agreed on the sleepover as long as nothing did go wrong. But she did threaten me to ground me again if I came back with a new wound. Sometimes I wondered if Martha was worse on worrying than my biological mother.

I flew with Tiger Dragon to Akiza's family house. I had been visiting the house a couple of times before when Akiza had invited me for tea and snacks with Carly.

Once I got down from Tiger Dragon's back, he returned to my Deck I had in the pocket of my jacket. I walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. I waited patiently until the door was opened by Akiza's mother.

"Estelle! Come in", Setsuko smiled warmly and stepped aside, letting me in.

"Pardon my intrusion, Mrs. Izinski", I nodded lightly before stepping inside the house.

Setsuko giggled, "Please, there's no need to be so polite. Just call me Setsuko."

"Okay… Setsuko", I corrected myself. "It's a habit of mine to be polite."

"But it's still refreshing to see there are young people out there who respects their elders", Setsuko smiled. "You were raised really well by your parents."

I put on a small smile, knowing it was actually all thanks to my mother for being who I was today. My father never did anything to raise me, even though he loved me.

"Mom? Is Estelle here?" Akiza called from the stairs.

I looked up and spotted her standing there dressed in a casual outfit. It was quite rare to see her dressed in something else than her usual outfit, but I was the same with my outfit.

Akiza was wearing a rose-red colored shirt, white capris and white socks. Her hair was slight damp so I assumed she had just come out from the bath.

Akiza put on a big smile when she spotted me. "Hi, Estelle!"

"Hello, Aki", I greeted her before I took off my shoes and put on a pair of slippers that stood next to the door.

Akiza rushed down the stairs and over to me to grab my bag. "Let me take that." Before I could argue, she grabbed my hand and turned to Setsuko. "Mom, we'll head up to my room and prepare ourselves for the party."

"Okay, dear, but you better let me take a picture when you're done", Setsuko giggled. "It's not every day you dress up for a party, Akiza."

"Sure!" Akiza nodded before turning her eyes on me. "Let's go, Estelle." She pulled me gently along as she held my bag in her other hand.

"Aki, I can carry my bag. You don't have to do it", I told her as we walked up the stairs.

"I know, but you're our guest", Akiza looked over her shoulder with a small shy grin. "I want you to take it easy and relax. We're going to have so much fun preparing ourselves for the party."

We walked inside Akiza's room that was bigger than my old room in my dimension and pretty neat too. The walls were colored in rose-pink and dark rose colors. The floor was brown with a big carpet in the middle; black with red edges.

Otherwise, it looked really like a rich girl's house that you could read in the high-school themed books. Akiza also had a balcony where she grew some roses. She was also responsible for the rose bushes in front of the house.

Akiza had truly grown into a beautiful Rose Queen.

I spotted a mattress leaning against the wall next to the bed with folded covers and a pillow. That was surely for me when I would sleep over.

Akiza placed down my bag on her bed. "Are you sure you've got everything?"

"I double-checked it yesterday while I was packing", I answered as I took off my red jacket and placed it next to my bag.

"Okay", Akiza turned her eyes on the rose-shaped wall clock. "The party starts at 6 PM, so we've got three hours to prepare ourselves."

"Pardon me for asking, Aki", I began. "But why does dressing up and preparing for a party takes so long? We can clearly be done within an hour, right?"

I asked that because I had no experience for fancy parties like the WRGP party. People, especially girls, kept saying they needed like two to three hours to prepare themselves for a single party. I just never understood that. I was the simple one; just change my clothes, add a few accessories, brush my hair, add deodorant and maybe some makeup.

"True, but we'll still need to prepare ourselves in time so we won't miss the opening of the WRGP party", Akiza replied. "It takes around half an hour to get to the party by car, so…"

"Let's start preparing ourselves in half an hour", I suggested. "We should get some spare time over before we're going to the party."

"Good idea", Akiza nodded. "How about a Duel?"

I nodded, "I'm on. We'll just need to set a timer so we'll know when we must stop the Duel and start dressing up." I pulled out my Deck from the jacket.

Akiza grabbed her own Deck that was settled on her nightstand before she grabbed her alarm clock and pushed some buttons. "I've set it", she told me.

With that said, we sat down on the carpet and started Dueling.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Once the alarm clock beeped, we stopped Dueling. Akiza had been on the lead with 1100 Life Points while I had been on 700 Life Points. Sadly, we couldn't finish the Duel so we put away our Decks and started changing our clothes.

I pulled out my dress, shoes, gloves and small handbag from the bag and started pulling off my long-sleeved shirt, revealing my silver necklace. Yes, Akiza and I were changing clothes together in her room.

"You're wearing a training bra?" Akiza suddenly asked.

I turned my head at her direction with a questioning glance. "Yes. I don't feel comfortable in the bras that have those steel threads as added support."

"Oh…", Akiza nodded in understanding.

I turned back and folded my shirt properly before placing it on the bed. The bra, jeans and socks followed before I zipped on my dress, and pulled on the gloves and shoes.

Akiza had finished dressing before me and sat now in front of her dressing table. She was adding some makeup; lip-gloss, slight mascara and gentle rose perfume.

Once Akiza was done, she stood up from the chair and turned to me with a big smile. "Your turn, Estelle!"

"Eh?" I said, slightly confused.

"I'm going to do your makeup", Akiza explained. "And fix your hair."

I waved my hand in deny. "No, I don't need makeup-"

"Yes, you do!" Akiza grabbed my hand and pushed me down on the chair. "Let me do this for you at least once. I've always wanted to try putting on makeup on a friend."

I sighed in defeat. "Okay then. But not too much."

"Of course", Akiza nodded.

She added lip-gloss, some mascara and slight rouge on my pale cheeks to have some color. After that, she grabbed her brush and started brushing my hair very gentle like it was made of delicate silk.

I sighed in relief, enjoying the treatment of getting my hair brushed. I had always wondered what the sensation felt like when someone else brushed one's hair. My mother never did that for me since I always did it by myself and I used to have short hair when I had been a little girl.

I felt how Akiza added some pins on the back of my hair to keep it over my left shoulder.

"There we go", Akiza smiled. "Now… What kind of perfume do you want to use, Estelle?"

I glanced down on the desk seeing a couple of different perfume bottles. I saw the rose perfume that Akiza had used, a strong violet-scented perfume, vanilla perfume and citrus perfume. My hand reached automatically for the citrus perfume and held it up to Akiza. "This one."

Akiza grabbed the bottle out of my hand. "Citrus? It actually suits you."

I nodded, "Both my mother and I prefer gentle and fresh citrus scents. We're quite sensitive to strong perfumes."

"I see", Akiza said. "Okay, here we go." She sprayed the perfume on my throat and rubbed it around to spread it all over.

After that, we were all done and ready. We just packed our handbags with tissues, cell phones, our Decks and other necessary things.

I cast a glance on the clock and felt my eyes widen when I saw it was already 5:15 PM. "Seriously? The time passed by that fast?" I asked out loud.

"Yep, you see now? Dressing up and preparing for a party does take time", Akiza said. "Dad's limousine should be ready now." She linked her arm with mine. "Let's go."

I nodded before we walked out of Akiza's room. Her parents were waiting downstairs, Hideo holing a camera in his hands.

Once they heard us walking down the stairs, they looked up and literally shone seeing their daughter dressed up.

"My goodness!" Hideo exclaimed. "Our little rose's growing up!" He shed a few tears, but wiped them away.

"You two look beautiful, dears", Setsuko smiled with tears in her eyes. "The gentlemen are going to watch you all night long."

"Look over here, you two!" Hideo said with a big smile, holding up his camera.

Akiza and I turned to his direction and smiled before he snapped a photo.

"But don't walk off all alone with strangers!" Hideo went into father-protective mode. "Who knows what their true intention could possibly be!"

"We get it, Dad", Akiza sighed. "Is the limousine ready?"

"Yes, it is, Aki", Setsuko smiled before she went to stand by Hideo's side and linked her arm with his. "Have a good time, you two."

"We will", I nodded.

Akiza and I stepped outside in the fresh air seeing the limousine and its chauffeur standing there ready. We waved goodbye to Akiza's parents and stepped inside the vehicle. The chauffeur shut close the door and stepped inside on the driver's seat.

The limousine's engine purred to life before it drove away, heading first to the twins' place to pick them up.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Akiza, Leo, Luna and I met up with Yusei and Crow by the building where the party was held. In fact, it was a tower with a building for conference for business men and it was connected to the Daedalus Bridge.

Leo and Luna were dressed up in the same outfits as in the anime and the two young men were wearing their usual outfits which made them stand out among the party-dressed people.

Crow started teasing me about finally looking like a woman, but that earned him a slap from Akiza to my surprise. She had certainly grown very protective of me.

Yusei had actually been too silent. His eyes told me he was still in deep thoughts about how to defeat the Meklords and Sherry's words must have remained from the encounter a couple of days ago.

We went inside the building and saw lots of people, citizens and Duelists alike, and even journalists who interviewed the famous Turbo Dueling teams.

"This is cool!" Leo exclaimed happily, looking around with excited eyes. "The music! The decorations! The Duelists! And the best of all; the food!"

Before the excited little boy could run off I grabbed his ear and pulled it slightly, causing him to yelp out in pain. "Leo, this is a sophisticated party. So try to behave for a couple of hours", I told him.

"Okay, fine…", Leo pouted in defeat.

"Estelle's right, Leo", Luna told her twin. "It may have been a long time since we were "forced" to go to parties because of our parents, but that doesn't mean you can act like you usually do."

"I know, I know…", Leo sighed.

We started walking around, seeing the Turbo Dueling teams like Team Unicorn and others I currently didn't recognize.

"I tell ya, things have been so intense lately", Crow said. "This party should really help us take our minds off things, don't you think?"

"Sure…", Akiza nodded.

"I'm actually nervous because this is my first time attending a party for more than ten years", I confessed.

"I guess you mean kid-parties, right?" Crow asked.

"Kinda", I made a so-so gesture with my right hand. "I meant like class- and school parties. I don't have any fond memories of those old times."

It was then we all noticed how Yusei was _still_ quiet. He held such a serious expression that made me almost a bit scared of him.

Crow tried to get Yusei's attention, but he didn't get any response. But we all got our attention when we heard Carly talk to someone. We turned our heads to the direction of the sound and saw Carly interviewing a team. She was wearing the dress that she had kept around ever since the prom dance in the high school.

And she spotted us as well. "Hey, guys!" She waved her hand before running over to us while holding her precious camera.

"Hey, Carly. What are you doing here?" Crow asked.

"What else?" Carly replied teasingly. "I'm doing a story and, after all, this is like the Premiere Duel Event of the season!" The right side of the spaghetti-strapped sleeve of her dress slid down, but she put it back on again. "Oh, check it out! There's Team Unicorn; pointy and hair and all!" She turned her attention at those guys before she looked back at us. "Speaking of, why isn't Jack here?"

"You're right…", Crow said, finally realizing one of us was missing. "Jack lives for these kinds of events. It's not like him to miss a big party like this. That is, unless-"

"Looking for me?" Jack's voice spoke up.

In front of us stood Jack with his new costume that had trails of his usual outfit, except this had golden embroideries and a big hat with a feather attached on. The costume screamed expensive.

"…Unless he wants to be fashionably late", Crow finished his sentence.

"Fashionable is right. Nothing beats a _tailored_ suit", Jack said proudly.

"What?! You had it tailored?!" Crow exclaimed in shock. "Jack, how many times do I have to tell you?! We barely have enough money to make our rents and eat! What made you use tailor?!"

Jack nodded towards Carly. "Carly. She said I'll look extra handsome in a fitted suit."

I turned my glance at Carly who sweat dropped at the scene between the arguing men. She gave me a nervous smile, mouthing "But Jack looks handsome."

Lazar showed up and commenced the party to begin, including with an introduction about the new Turbo Duel course that was currently being constructed for the WRGP.

Once the introduction was over, I grabbed Carly's hand. "Carly, come with me."

Carly looked confused, but complied. "O-Okay…?"

I led Carly to the woman restroom happy to see no one was in there. I let go of Carly's hand and settled my handbag on the sink before digging my hand into it.

"What is it, Estelle?" Carly asked me.

"You want Jack to notice you, right?" I asked while pulling out a piece of deep purple fabric. "So we're going to make a quick makeover in both makeup and dress."

"Uh… Not that I appreciate your trying, but none of us have an extra dress", Carly pointed out.

I turned to her with the purple fabric in my hand. "True, but I'm going to use my powers and remake your dress with this fabric."

Carly gaped, "You mean you can manipulate threads?!"

"Kind of, but it takes a lot of effort and energy so I rarely use it", I confessed. "Last time was for the dress during the Christmas party at the twins' place." I allowed my Mark to start collecting energy. "Now, close your eyes and relax. You won't feel anything. And don't open your eyes until I tell you."

Carly nodded before she closed her eyes. I started by removing her glasses and placed them on the sink and then focused on both the piece of fabric in my hand and Carly's dress. I let my powers burst out and the color of the fabric started blending in with Carly's dress. As the deep purple color was being painted on the dress, I started using my imagination and manipulated the dress. I added stronger straps that would be kept on the shoulders without sliding off and three layers of frills on the lower part of the dress, starting from the waist. The length of the dress extended slightly, but stayed above the ankles.

Once the dress part was done, I stopped some of my energy and pulled out lip-gloss and mascara that I managed to borrow from Akiza. I added the gentle lip-gloss and applied the mascara while telling Carly to keep her eyes closed.

After I put away the makeup, I used the last energy to modify Carly's glasses into the same shape as mine, except hers were still a bit rounder. The thick glass turned very thin that wouldn't hide her beautiful face.

I put on Carly's glasses as I now sealed away the powers in my Mark and put away the purple fabric in my handbag. "You can now open your eyes", I told Carly as I turned her to the mirrors.

Carly opened her eyes slowly and lost her breath when she saw her reflection. She had completely turned into a new woman with the five minutes make-over.

"I-I-Is this really me?! I can't recognize myself!" Carly exclaimed. "A-A-And my glasses… I can see with these thin glasses!"

I smiled slightly weakly, happy to see I made her happy. I leant back at the sink while closing my eyes to recover the energy.

"Hey, are you okay, Estelle?" Carly asked me worriedly.

I opened my eyes to look at her with a nod. "Yeah… Just need to collect myself for a minute."

Carly turned into a happy high school girl who was being excited for her first date. "I can't wait to show Jack my transformation! He's going to ask me to be his girlfriend tonight! We're going to kiss at the midnight when the clock hits-"

"Wait", I told her before placing a hand on her shoulder. "You can't just march up to Jack and show him your makeover. If you really want to get his attention, you should act…avoidable." Carly looked at me with a confused expression that was really cute. "The men's mission is to chase after the girls, not the girls to throw themselves on the men. That's not how the biological clock was "installed"."

"So what should I do?" Carly asked.

"Mingle with people, especially with men so Jack can see you", I suggested. "It might trigger his domination side and snatch you from the other men. To tell the truth, that's all I know by watching and hearing how it's being done. I don't have any experience myself, so I'm afraid that's all I can do to help you getting Jack's attention."

"It's okay, Estelle", Carly smiled. "I'm happy enough with all the help I got from you. So, I should act all ignorant and ladylike like you and try making Jack jealous by talking to other men. Piece of cake!"

"Wait, what do you mean by "ladylike like me"?" I asked.

"Why, because you are always so calm and grown-up", Carly replied. "I've seen the way you interact with other people and it's quite instructively."

I smiled gently. "Thank you, but I'm not as calm as you think…"

I felt by the bond with the Signers how one of them stood outside of the restroom. I looked at the door and saw it was slightly open and a shadow was standing there. The shadow walked away then, but I knew who it had been and it made me smile.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Akiza's POV**

I wondered why Estelle had dragged Carly to the woman restroom, but then I heard and saw everything. I couldn't help but smile when I saw how much Estelle wanted to help Carly by getting Jack's attention by doing a makeover.

Seriously, Jack needed to get that stick out of his butt and confess to Carly already! Those two were perfect together, but Jack's big pride and ego had to ruin everything.

I giggled during my trip back to the group, seeing Leo and Luna by the refreshment table. Jack and Yusei were somewhere else in the building, but Crow had stayed with the twins.

The orange-haired boy spotted me as I walked over to him. "Well, did you get to see what's up with Estelle and Carly?" he asked.

"Yep, and you'll see soon", I replied.

It was then Jack walked back to us and started a conversation about what he had just heard from one of the Turbo Dueling teams.

I prayed nothing would happen tonight, like an army of Meklords showing up and ruining everything or something worse. I wanted all of us to relax for at least one day, but I knew Yusei wouldn't be able to do that.

Speaking of Yusei… I did notice how he had glanced at Estelle when he had seen her dressed up. He couldn't pull his glance off her like she was the most beautiful engine he had ever seen. Yeah, I used the term "engine" because he was usually a grease monkey with Duel Runners.

But in my eyes… Estelle was the prettiest jewel that shone even brighter than any other stars in the universe.

Why did I keep holding back my feelings? I had to tell her as soon as possible after the party…or another opportunity if I dared to chicken out of it.


	41. WRGP Party – Part 2

**In this chapter, I'll let most of the main adult protagonists AKA the Signers to get a time to shine in the beginning.**

**There will be action in this chapter, so enjoy!**

**The chapter will start in Crow's point of view.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 41: WRGP Party – Part 2**

I spotted Carly and Estelle walk out from the restroom, and I had to tell ya. Carly looked totally different in her new dress. And her glasses were thinner and exposed her eyes and face. She looked really pretty, but she wasn't my type. In fact, I had never thought about falling in love. Heck, I never had a crush before.

Back when Yusei, Jack and I were in the Enforcers with Kalin, there were girls in our age who tried to get a piece of us, but I was always the unpopular guy. I guess I lacked the natural cool and good looks that Jack, Yusei and even Kalin had.

I had never once been jealous because of that. I just felt I wasn't ready to end up in a relationship. I always preferred being a big brother for my little birds in my old nest back in the old Satellite. I found my place among the children and I loved them to bits.

Well, maybe I would find the one later. Right now, I wished for both Yusei and Jack to get their girls before it would be too late.

"Hey, Jack", I spoke up.

Jack drank some champagne from a glass. "Yeah?"

"Have you seen Carly?" I asked.

"No, why do you ask?"

I pointed towards said girl. "Cuz look over there."

Jack looked at the direction I pointed and his face was priceless. He had never looked as shocked as he did just now.

Carly stood in the middle of a small group of men holding a conversation while she had a drink in her hand. The men flirted with her and made her giggle which brought the men's attention.

I glanced at Jack and saw how his domination look was coming out. His grip on the delicate glass tightened, causing the glass to slightly crack. Jack slammed down the glass on the nearby refreshment table and stomped over to the group.

I smirked to myself. Mission complete!

Good luck, Jack!

**XXXXXXXXXX – Jack's POV**

I had never once felt like this when I saw a girl I kind of liked being surrounded by so many good-looking men. Was this emotion called jealousy? Maybe, but right now I didn't care.

I marched up to the group just in time to hear one of the men ask Carly if she would like to dance with him. But I didn't let Carly answer the question because I stomped through the small crowd and grabbed Carly's wrist.

I turned to the men and put on my deadly glare. "She's _my_ dancing partner, so beat it!"

I dragged Carly with me from the group to the other end of the building. Once we got there, I stopped walking, but kept my grip on Carly's wrist.

"J-Jack…", Carly spoke up behind me.

I sighed and let go of her before turning around to face her.

How in the world could she be so beautiful? She looked a whole different person with her face properly exposed and her eyes… I had only seen her eyes a few times, but the thick glasses made it hard for me to see them. However, now with those thin glasses…

I knew this was going to be embarrassing, but I swallowed my pride and bowed lightly while holding out my hand. Carly looked at me very confused, but I kept my poker face.

"Would you care to dance with me?" I asked.

Carly blushed which looked cute on her before a beautiful smile spread on her lips. "Yes."

She held out her hand and placed it in mine. I gripped it gently and pulled Carly to the dancing area where a small orchestra was playing. There were several people there dancing, including Akiza. She was dancing with a man I didn't know, but she seemed to enjoy the time.

I turned to Carly and put my right hand on her waist and held her right hand in mine. Carly placed her left hand on my shoulder and we started dancing among the others.

While I had been the King of Games, I had to attend fancy parties and dance with other women. Before my first party, I got private lessons that Goodwin had paid for and it turned out I was first a very bad dancer. But now, I was decent so it was more than enough for me.

But I would like to become professional one day, just as my dream is to claim the title King of Games again with my own achievement.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I observed the people around me. There were people from different cultures and countries wearing different clothes for the party. Some of them greeted me and I greeted in return, but I didn't stay by someone to start a conversation. I was still a bit shy to try starting a conversation myself with unknown people. I also saw the small area where people were dancing. I spotted Akiza dancing with an unknown man, and to my happiness Jack and Carly were dancing together.

As many people would say; mission complete!

"Estelle Malmström?" a voice spoke up.

I turned around and came face to face with Team Unicorn. "Yes?"

"It _is_ you! You're the Duelist who won the Fortune Cup several months ago! I've heard about you", the leader of Team Unicorn said. "And good things too."

I felt myself blush a little since I knew the leader was flirting. "I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your names."

"Oh, I'm sorry! Allow me to introduce ourselves. We go by the team name Team Unicorn", the leader replied.

"I know that, but I meant your individual names", I corrected myself.

"Oh, of course", the leader cleared his throat. "My name is Andre."

"I'm Breo", the blonde-haired man said.

"And I'm Jean, the founder of our team", the grey-haired man said.

"Pleasure to meet you", I nodded lightly.

"So the rumors are true… You _are_ beautiful", Breo said in a slightly flirting voice, causing me to blush hard.

"Quit it, Breo", Jean scolded him. "Can't you see you're making her uncomfortable?"

"We've heard about your interesting way of Dueling and we're simply fascinated by that", Andre told me. "If you're not in a team already, you can gladly join ours and help us out for the WRGP."

"I'm sorry, but I'm already in a team", I replied. "More likely my friends' team-"

"Excuse me", Yusei appeared next to me before he grabbed my arm. "I need to talk to her."

Without waiting for a reply, Yusei dragged me away from Team Unicorn. I was deeply surprised by his actions so I threw quickly an apologizing glance at Team Unicorn before focusing on Yusei.

"Yusei, what's wrong?" I asked.

He dragged to a corner where no people were around. He let go of my arm before he turned to me. "I've been feeling someone is watching over me."

"Watching over you?" I raised an eyebrow, acting surprised since I knew what he meant.

Yusei nodded, "I've seen a man with red visors walking around and I think he's the one who's casting glances at me."

I hesitated to reply, not knowing if I should tell him. I decided to say a small piece of it. "You'll meet that person personally soon", I told him. "He will…give you a few advices."

"What's that mean?" Yusei wondered.

"You'll know soon", I replied. "I'm afraid I can't tell you more or else the chain of events will get messed up."

Yusei glanced aside while making a humming noise that told me he understood what I had said. But he got again those eyes that said he was thinking a lot about the current situation with the Meklords and Sherry's words.

"Are you…worried about the Meklords?" I asked, getting Yusei's attention. "Jack sent me a message earlier today how you wanted to come up with a new strategy that doesn't involve Synchro summoning if you encounter someone like the Ghost again."

Yusei sighed loudly in frustration and brushed aside his bangs. "So he told you…"

"Listen, Yusei. You shouldn't change your gameplay just because you're afraid to lose against the Meklords. The new solution will show up, but if you keep using your time of doubting yourself you won't be able to notice the hopeful signs."

Yusei avoided eye contact with me as I continued my small ranting.

"You should keep playing in the same way as you always have when you Dueled for the first time with your first Deck. Don't stop believing in your Decks that have helped you become the man you are today with so much achievement. You've united New Domino City and Satellite because you never gave up. Your purpose of Dueling before was to unite the two cities. Now your new purpose can be to protect the cities together with the Signers. You don't need any other reasons than that."

"But Sherry said-", Yusei began, but only to get interrupted by me.

"Who do you trust the most? Your friends who's been by your side for so long or a complete stranger who shows up one day and claims to know everything about you when she doesn't know a bit about your true self? Answer me that."

Yusei still looked away, but he now had a guilty look in his eyes. I knew I sounded a bit harsh, but Yusei had to open his eyes and see his friends were here and could help him, plus he should never doubt himself of his gameplay.

Every Duelist played in their own unique way and that was how things needed to stay.

"Think about it", I told Yusei as I walked past him. "Just be yourself and turn to your friends at the time of needs. Everything will turn out okay… Hopefully…" I mumbled out the last part to myself as I walked away from Yusei.

One side of me felt kind of bad for ranting on Yusei, but I wanted him to open his eyes. Another side said he needed some wise words and think about it. I wished I could do more than that.

I was about to get a drink when a large Duel Runner crashed through the glass walls a couple of meters from me. People screamed in fear as the Duel Runner landed and skidded to halt. On the heavy-metal themed Duel Runner sat a fat man dressed in punk clothes with pink Mohawk while holding a poster of the WRGP. I never caught his name before.

"Hope none of you don't mind me crashing your party", the man chuckled.

I heard Carly say the man's name was Dobocle and he was a local tough guy. Sector Security was rushing in and evacuating the people while they tried stopping Dobocle.

"I heard 'bout your little contest, but guess what; it ain't happenin' unless I get some of the prize money!" Dobocle threatened.

Trudge ordered every Sector Security guy to arrest Dobocle, but the criminal drove around in his Duel Runner while destroying the inferior and the music instruments the orchestra had dropped during the panic. He went even so far to drive on people and pushing them aside, giving them serious injuries.

Before I could comprehend the chaos around me, Dobocle drove towards my direction and my back was facing him!

"ESTELLE, LOOK OUT!" Yusei cried out, fear in his voice.

I turned around in time to hold out my right hand creating a crimson pentagram shield in front of me. Dobocle drove straight into the shield, but he pushed forward which made me slid backward as I struggled to keep the shield up.

"Trident Dragion!" I called out.

A fiery light slipped out from my handbag and formed my new Synchro dragon that I haven't introduced to my friends yet.

Trident Dragion was a three-headed dragon with orange scale and a pair of big wings, two front- and back paws with sharp talons. On each of the heads were two yellow horns that almost screamed Satan.

Trident Dragion used his three heads to throw the Duel Runner outside of the building onto the balcony part, but that had earned a new hole in the glass wall.

Sector Security guys rushed past me as Trident Dragion growled above me before he returned to my Deck in the handbag. The Sector Security tried to stop Dobocle, but the criminal was able to turn his upside-down Duel Runner and speed off. The Security guys followed after him to arrest him.

I stepped outside in the air as I felt my heart lightly drop. I somehow had a feeling what would happen next.

Back in my dimension, I had read about the episodes until this part, meaning I had stopped by the party episode so I didn't really know what would happen next. But since I had read the biography of the protagonists and other minor characters and other information, I had a small summary in my brain.

"Estelle, are you okay?!" Akiza cried out as my friends ran over to me.

I turned to them and nodded. "Yes…"

"Are you sure?" Yusei asked.

"I'm fine, Yusei", I replied while I remained in the daze. "But…"

"But what?" Leo asked.

Before I could reply, I felt a painful tug coming from my right arm. I grunted in pain and looked at said arm, seeing my Mark glowing. I knew the signal.

"I have to go", I narrowed my eyes.

"Go where?" Luna asked worriedly.

I didn't answer to that. Instead, I turned around and ran off while allowing my powers to change me into my Warrior Form. Once the transformation was done, I jumped up in the air and flew off.

I followed the signs I got from my Mark and spotted Dobocle ahead in a Turbo Duel with one of the Three Pure Nobles and the true owner of Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity; Primo.

Dobocle was panicking and wanted to surrender, but Primo didn't let him. Primo wanted to finish the Turbo Duel, but I wouldn't allow it. Sure, Dobocle was a criminal, but he didn't deserve this selfish punishment from Primo.

Just when Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity was about to finish the criminal, I flew in between them and used my powers to bounce back the Meklord which miraculously worked.

Primo stopped driving with Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity floating above him. "So… You have finally decided to show yourself in front of me, Priestess."

Before I could blink, Primo had vanished from the Turbo Duel road below me and appeared in the left hand of the Meklord, his Duel Runner gone. Half of the Sector Security drove past us to arrest Dobocle while the other half stopped to look at us as we were floating in the air.

"What do you want?" I asked Primo with a serious expression. "What is your true intension by going after me and injuring innocents?"

"Oh, those unfortunate Duelists were just guinea pigs for my Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity to make sure its special abilities work", Primo replied with a smirk.

I arched an eyebrow before I glared at the Pure Noble. "You and the other two are sick." I pulled out a feather from my left wing that formed into a flaming katana.

Primo kept smirking. "You are awake the Meklord is immune to your powers, and yet you keep putting yourself in danger. You are a strange woman."

I didn't reply on that comment. I held my katana in both hands, preparing myself to engage in battle with Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity.

Primo vanished like he had been erased by an eraser and the Meklord's "face" glowed in activation. I was actually scared to get seriously injured again, but I wouldn't let the Meklord do more damage for tonight.

With a battle roar, I flew towards the Meklord with my katana raised while Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity raised its servo at me.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Yusei's group stayed behind and helped Sector Security to take care of the injured people. The rest of the Sector Security had stayed behind to help and take the critical injured ones to incoming ambulances.

Jack was being interviewed and he said he had seen lots of things at the old parties he used to attend, but this was over the bounds with such interference and unforgiving actions towards innocent people.

Trudge held his hand on his right ear hearing the news about the pursuit of Dobocle from the earpiece. "What?! Did you just say the Ghost is on the scene?! A-A-And a crimson shining woman with wings is there too?!"

Crow and Yusei were the closest people to the officer, so they had heard everything.

"It must be Estelle!" Crow exclaimed. "And she's engaging with the Ghost again?! Last time, she almost died by that monster!"

Yusei didn't wait any longer. He rushed to the stairs to get to the garage where the Duel Runners were kept. He didn't want to see his nightmare becoming real. He had to protect Estelle this time.

The others caught up with him after they had heard the update from Crow.

"I don't know how the Ghost is back… But I do know this much. Jack Atlas is going to take him down before he dares to lay a single scratch on Estelle!" Jack said.

The group made it to the garage, but got stopped by a strange man with red visors.

"Hey, out of the way! We're in a hurry here!" Crow told the man.

The man with visors didn't say a word.

"Do we know you?" Leo asked.

The visor man stepped up to Yusei who had frozen when he realized the man's slightly hidden eyes were the ones that had been watching him the whole day.

"Forget about him, Yusei! Let's go!" Jack shouted as he and the others ran past the visor man.

Yusei was about to follow his friends, but the visor man finally spoke up.

"Go and do what?"

The others stopped on their tracks and turned to the visor man in shock and confusion.

"Everything will be over before you find the Ghost", the visor man continued. "And even if it's not, you won't be able to help your friend, will you, Yusei?" Yusei gasped when he heard that. "You're not ready to face the Ghost again. You must first find what you're looking for."

"Looking for?" Yusei wondered.

"That's right", the visor man nodded. "The Synchro Solution."

"The Synchro Solution? What's that all about?" Crow asked. "And another thing, who exactly are you? How about a name or something, buddy?!"

"You can call me Vizor", the visor man replied.

"So, Vizor, how do we know we can trust you?" Yusei asked.

"You can't", Vizor replied. "Where I come from, trust is something a person has to earn. Guess you have to Duel me and find out for yourself."

Yusei was in a complicated situation. He wanted to go and help Estelle, but she had said the signs of hope would soon show up and the visor man was one of the clues. "Lead the way, Vizor", he said, making the decision.

"What?!" Akiza and the twins exclaimed in shock.

"I knew he would say that", Crow mumbled.

"Good", Vizor nodded, ignoring the comments from the others. "Prepare your Duel Runner, Yusei."

Yusei nodded and walked over to his Duel Runner. Akiza was stunned by shock to hear Yusei accepted a challenge from a stranger. This was the second time in less than a week! Plus, they had more important things to take care of!

Yusei put on his helmet and sat down on his Duel Runner. He started the engine and pulled out from the parking spot. But before he followed Vizor, he stopped next to his friends.

"Jack, go and help Estelle with the Ghost. Crow, you stay here with Akiza and the twins."

"Got it!" Jack nodded and went to his Duel Runner.

"Copy that!" Crow saluted.

Akiza was against the idea. "Wait, Estelle needs our help and you tell us to stay put?!"

Yusei revved the engine of the Duel Runner and drove off, not answering the girl's question.

"Did he just leave us behind like that?!" Akiza growled.

"Yep", Crow nodded before he walked over to his Duel Runner.

Jack drove up to the group in his Duel Runner. "We'll keep the contact through our Runners. I'll call for backup if things are too...serious."

"Jack, what is going on?" Luna asked worriedly.

"You and your brother and Akiza will probably know soon", Jack replied before he drove off.

Crow pulled up with his Duel Runner. "I'll drive up to the balcony. See ya guys there!" He drove out of the garage, leaving Akiza and the twins.

Akiza growled in her throat. "I can't believe they ditched us like this…"

"Calm down, Akiza. Everything will turn out right! I mean, we're talking about Yusei and Estelle here! Nothing can beat them!" Leo smiled.

Luna hit the top of Leo's head with her small fist. "Leo, take this seriously! Yusei and Estelle are _not_ invincible. But… I really want to know what's going on. I feel like we've missed something."

Akiza let go of the anger she held and patted the twins' shoulders. "We'll get the answers soon. Now, let's hurry back to Crow before we miss anything."

"Okay", the twins nodded simultaneously.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Jack drove on the freeway, heading to the scene where Sector Security had last seen Estelle and the Ghost. At the same time, he followed the Turbo Duel between Yusei and Vizor on the monitor of the Duel Runner.

"I hope Yusei knows what he's doing…and finds the answers he's looking for", Jack mumbled.

An explosion from the ocean occurred one second later after he had said that. Jack was caught off guard by the sudden explosion and braked immediately. He took off his helmet and looked up seeing Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity and a glowing figure around one kilometer away from the bridges.

"What the… When did they get so far out?!" Jack exclaimed. "I can't reach them with my Runner! Unless…"

He pulled out his Turbo Deck from the Deck holder and went through the cards until he found one Duel Monster that probably could help him.

"I can't use Synchro Monsters nearby that Meklord. It'll just suck the Monster and become stronger. So… I have to use a normal Monster."

Jack dismounted his Duel Runner and stood next to it while holding the chosen card in his hand. He knew he didn't have psychic powers like Akiza, but Estelle had told him, Crow and Yusei that they held powers, so there could be a possibility that every Signer could summon Duel Monsters without a Duel Disk like the Priestess could do.

The Signers had to believe in themselves and in the cards of their Decks.

Jack closed his eyes and concentrated on his Mark. The Mark slowly started glowing as he tried to move the energy to his card. The card in his hand started shining in a gentle white color, absorbing the energy of the Mark.

The blonde man felt his concentration slip, but he kept going. He knew he was close to summon the Duel Monster and needed more power. Jack suddenly felt like a chain around his heart shattered by the intense concentration and stretched out his hand with the card.

"Come forth, Vice Berserker!"

A purple light surrounded Jack as a pair of red eyes glowed in the glow along with a growl.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I was holding my right shoulder feeling it being dislocated. My body was half-covered in bruises by the battle with Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity. One thing I did notice however was I was able to do some damage at the Meklord. Last time, I could barely touch the surface of the machine with my katana and powers. It was like the Meklord had become weaker…

Could it be the Turbo Duel against Yusei and the damage it got from Majestic Star Dragon had caused it to go temporary weaker? I knew it wasn't my powers that had grown stronger. I would have felt that, plus I wasn't connected yet with the Signers spiritually.

I tried lifting my right arm in which I held the katana in the hand, but the dislocated shoulder hurt so much. I grunted through my teeth due to the pain before a loud noise coming from the Meklord caught my attention.

Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity raised its servo again and clenched it into a fist. I knew the signals and flapped my wings ready to fly away from the incoming fist. But before I did that, a purple beam hit the right side of the Meklord causing it to wobble and miss me with a meter.

I looked up and spotted an unfamiliar Duel Monster. It was almost as big as Red Dragon Archfiend, but it looked like a fiend Monster with large black wings and had a humanoid body structure. On its right hand sat… Were my eyes deceiving me?

"Jack?!" I exclaimed in shock.

I flew over to the fiend Duel Monsters and hovered in front of Jack while still holding my dislocated shoulder.

"I hope I came at the right time…", Jack trailed off when he saw my shoulder. "You're hurt?!"

"Only a dislocated shoulder. Nothing major", I replied before I turned back to the Meklord. "I have lots of questions, but they have to wait. We must take care of Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity."

Said machine had recovered from the sudden ambush and turned towards us.

"Any ideas?" Jack asked.

"I think the chest is its weak point…", I mumbled before I got an idea. "That's it!"

"What?" Jack wondered.

"Distract the Meklord. I'll handle the rest!"

"I don't think I'm not going to like your idea, but okay. Vice Berserker, attack!"

Vice Berserker roared before he flew ahead and unleashed a cloud of bats made out of purple energy. Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity tried to shoo away the bats from its face as I advanced towards its chest.

I let go of my right shoulder and moved the katana to the left hand. I used the power of my Mark to change the katana into a flaming spear with a sharp diamond edge. I held up my left arm, aimed and threw the spear as hard as I could towards the Meklord's chest. The spear dug through the chest and I snapped my fingers.

Fire started erupting from the chest, spreading all over the exoskeleton. The Meklord's face started beeping and glowing in error as it stopped functioning. It slowly descended to the ocean, like it was getting sucked into quicksand. Jack and I watched as the Meklord lowered deeper into the water until it was gone.

Vice Berserker flew next to me with Jack sitting on the palm of the Duel Monster's palm. "It worked?" Jack asked.

"Not entirely…", I panted lightly. "It didn't get destroyed, meaning it still had the immune defense against my powers. It just got…malfunctioned and I hope for quite a while…"

I started feeling lightheaded so I sat down next to Jack who looked at me worriedly. "You okay?" he asked.

I nodded, "Just…lightheaded."

Jack looked up at the fiend Duel Monster. "Vice Berserker, take us back to my Duel Runner." Vice Berserker made a growling noise before he turned around and flew back to the bridges.

I felt my strength drain so I transformed back into my last outfit, meaning the dress for the party. I leant slightly against Jack's side to rest for a moment. I knew he wouldn't brush me away. He wasn't _that_ coldhearted.

Within a minute, we were at the bridges where Jack's Duel Runner stood abandoned. Vice Berserker lowered his hand to the concrete so we could get off easily without jumping. I tried moving my right shoulder, but gasped in pain before I gripped it.

"You're going to need to let the paramedics take a look at your shoulder when we get back", Jack said as he got on his Duel Runner.

Vice Berserker glowed in a purple color before it flew to the Deck holder on Jack's Duel Runner.

I was about to call out a Duel Monster when Jack cast me a harsh glare. "And who said you're going to do anything right now?" he asked.

I blinked confusedly. "What do you mean? I need a ride to get back to the-"

"You're riding with me and that's it!" Jack said seriously. "Now, come on! Sit down on my lap!"

I blushed at the thought of me sitting on a man's lap, but I realized I wouldn't be able to convince Jack now when he had turned into serious mode. I squeezed myself into the Duel Runner and sat down on Jack's lap.

I had never been sitting on a man's lap before, not even on my father's except when I had been a very little girl so it felt really weird. But luckily, it wasn't as crowded as I first thought.

Jack reached for the handles of the Duel Runner and started the engine. The Runner purred to life and we drove off, returning to the party.

Now when I was sitting at the front and not on the back, I could feel the sensation of speed and the air. Was this the same feeling Akiza got when she had been sitting on Yusei's Duel Runner during the Turbo Duel with Sherry?

But my thoughts returned to the Meklord and Primo. The encounter tonight had raised more questions than before. The way Primo teleported and vanished in front of me… Did he and the two other Pure Nobles hold powers as well? What was their true intension and why did they want me?

I shook my head and turned my attention at Jack since I had questions for him. "Did you summon Vice Berserker with the help of the Duel Disk?"

"No", Jack replied while keeping his eyes on the road. "I summoned him, just like how you summon your Duel Monsters, with the help of my powers from my Mark."

My eyes widened in realization. "Wait a minute… Does that mean…?"

"Mean what?" Jack looked at me with an arched eyebrow.

"Did you feel something unusual while you were summoning Vice Berserker?"

"Well… If you mean the feeling like a chain has been broken, then yeah. Why'd you ask?"

"Because this mean you've unlocked your powers. The chain being broken is a certain sign of it."


	42. After the Party

**I just realized something… This story is the longest fanfic I've ever written so far. Not even my old deleted Digimon Data Squad had almost reached 40 chapters before I gave up on it.**

**Once again, thank you all of you who've been favorite/following and reviewing my fanfic. It means a lot to me to see how so many of you are enjoying the story.**

**I have to warn you; there will be some Yuri in the middle of the chapter. But otherwise, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 42: After the Party**

Once Jack and I got back to the party, the rest of the group minus Yusei rushed over to us, all of them having worried expressions. Carly was even among the group, holding her camera.

"Are you two okay?" Crow asked.

I stood up from Jack's lap and dismounted the Duel Runner while clutching my dislocated shoulder. "My shoulder…", I mumbled.

"She dislocated her shoulder against that Meklord", Jack replied as he dismounted his Duel Runner. "She needs to get a checkup."

Akiza walked up to me and wrapped an arm around my waist. "I'll take her to the paramedics. Crow, you can fill in Jack about the Turbo Duel."

"Got it", Crow nodded.

Luna stepped up. "I'm going with you."

"Okay", Akiza nodded.

Luna and Akiza escorted me down to the parking lot where ambulances had gathered, also there were several cabs that drove home people who had enough of tonight's fiasco. People who got hurt by Dobocle got medical care and even got escorted home. Akiza and Luna told me quickly about the Turbo Duel with Yusei and Vizor and said they had heard Vizor say something called Accel Synchro summon.

Akiza led me to an ambulance that had just let a patient go with a wrapped arm. "Help her, please. She has a dislocated shoulder", she told the female paramedic.

The paramedic nodded, "Bring her into the ambulance and I'll take a look."

Akiza let go of me before I stepped inside the ambulance and sat down on the hospital trolley. Luna and Akiza stayed with me, but got ordered to close the doors so no one would cast a glance at me since I had to zip down my dress to pull down the strap on my right shoulder. I somehow managed to pull my right arm out from the strap of my dress and clenched it with my left arm to cover the right side of my chest.

The paramedic used her fingertips to feel my right shoulder which I hissed at when I felt pain wash through my arm. "Luckily, it's not a serious injury. I'll have to reset the shoulder, so brace yourself", she said.

I nodded and felt Akiza grab my left shoulder along with Luna holding my hand. I smiled at those two, but howled in pain when the paramedic quickly reset my shoulder back to place. I gasped out the remaining pain that went through my body, but slowly relaxed while the paramedic splinted and wrapped my shoulder.

"There we go. I suggest you rest your shoulder in a week and not doing any extreme exercises", the paramedic told me.

"I understand", I nodded as I put on the dress properly.

I felt Luna zip the dress close after I had put the right strap on my sore shoulder. I tried moving my arm. It still hurt a bit, but not as much as before.

Akiza, Luna and I exited the ambulance and walked through the crowd back to our friends who were waiting on the upper balcony. When we reached them, I spotted Yusei among the group.

He turned around when he saw Crow and Jack's attention were at something behind him and saw us girls. His eyes widened when his eyes were locked on my right shoulder wrapped in bandage.

"What happened?" he asked once the three of us made it to the group.

"A minor injury due to the battle with the Meklord", I replied. "It's taken care of now. Moreover… How did it go with your Turbo Duel?"

Yusei let out a small sigh. "You were right about Vizor. He seems to hold the answers I'm looking for."

Crow stepped up next to Yusei. "Estelle, you wouldn't happen to know about Accel Synchro summoning?" the Blackwing Duelist wondered.

"Only a little", I confessed. "I wasn't able to read about Accel Synchro back in my dimension, so I can't say so much about it."

"I'm not really getting about Accel Synchro summoning", Leo scratched the top of his head.

"Neither do I", Luna shook her head.

Carly turned her eyes at the crashed party inside the building. "Guys…" We all looked at her. "Since the party got interrupted and it's quite a mess inside there… Maybe we should head home?"

"I agree with Carly", Jack nodded. "The party can't go on with this mess. Plus, we can see people are leaving." He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder, gesturing at the crowd on the lower level who were leaving with cabs or in their cars.

"Welp, I guess we get to leave earlier", Crow shrugged. "Not that I'm complaining."

"All the good food wasted! And I'm still hungry!" Leo whined.

Luna sighed, "Leo, we have food at home. We can make a sandwich when we get back."

"I think we had enough action for tonight", Akiza added. "Plus, Estelle needs to rest her shoulder."

"I guess we all have an agreement?" I said.

"Definitely", Akiza nodded. "I'll just call Dad and tell him to get the limousine-"

"I can drive you guys home", Carly interrupted. "I've got my car here and there's enough space for four people. Five if we can squeeze in one more."

"So you think you can drive the twins home too?" Crow wondered.

"Yep! They're small, so they'll fit", Carly nodded.

"Thank you, Carly", Jack said.

"Then we'll drive home, guys", Yusei said.

Crow looked like he had a lot to ask me, but held himself back. I guess he knew I needed to rest and not getting bombarded by questions about what was happening; especially with Accel Synchro summoning and Jack unlocking his powers.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Akiza's parents were panicking when we returned to the Izinski household. They had heard the incident on the news and feared their daughter got injured, but they relaxed when Akiza told them she was okay, but I didn't get so lucky. Setsuko and Hideo asked kindly if I were okay which I nodded at and smiled lightly, telling them I was fine.

After a small and easy dinner, Akiza and I retired to her bedroom to prepare ourselves for bed. Akiza had a bathroom connected to her room, so I didn't have to walk through the mansion to go to the family bathroom.

Akiza and I dropped our handbags on her bed before we started changing our clothes. I was in a daze and didn't really start removing my dress while Akiza moved quite fast.

I sat down on the bed and kept thinking about the upcoming events; Akiza getting her Turbo Dueling license, the Duel Board episode and… What was next? Oh, yes; teaching the Signers of controlling their powers and unlocking them. I needed to prepare myself for the moment straight after Leo would get blessed with the sixth Mark of the Dragon. The Crimson Dragon had confirmed he would give Leo the Heart Mark soon, and I suspected it would be during the Duel Board Duel between him and Luna against Lester.

"Aren't you going to change?" Akiza's voice snapped me out from my thoughts.

I looked up and saw her dressed in a gentle rose princess-like nightgown. She had removed her hairpin and replaced it with a curler that held back her long front bangs.

"Oh…! Yes, yes… I was just deep in my thoughts", I replied.

I stood up from the bed and grabbed my bigger bag in which I had my red nightgown and toilet bag and pulled out those items. As soon as they were on the bed, I removed the hairpins and placed them down on Akiza's dressing table. After that, I zipped down my dress on the back. I was about to pull the straps down my shoulders when I suddenly felt Akiza's hand on my bare back. I froze in shock when I felt Akiza trace my back with gentle fingers.

"You've got so smooth and beautiful skin…", I heard her mumble gently behind me.

I felt a small portion of panic build up inside me. What in the world was Akiza doing?!

"Akiza?!" I exclaimed and turned quickly around.

Before I knew it, I was pushed down onto the bed with Akiza hovering above me. "Aki-"

I wasn't able to say something more before Akiza crashed her lips on mine. My eyes widened in huge shock. I tried pushing her off me, but she refused to budge as she almost tried to desperately melt her lips with mine.

I struggled against the lips and somehow managed to pull her face from mine by grabbing her shoulders and push her back, but it caused some pain from my sore shoulder. I hissed lightly by the pain, but then I noticed something wet hit my face. I looked up and saw Akiza had a saddened expression while tears ran down her cheeks. That face made my shocking state melt and the mother-protective side come forth. I sat up while supporting myself on my elbows.

"Akiza…", I began slowly in a caring voice.

"I'm sorry!" Akiza exclaimed before she crashed on me again, her chin resting on my left shoulder. "I'm so sorry!" She sobbed loudly. "I-I couldn't control myself! I-I don't know why I even feel like this towards you!"

I hugged Akiza close to me and caressed her hair to calm her down. I had no idea Akiza was gay. In the anime, she showed visible signs how she loved Yusei, but…I had never once thought she would be like this.

Setsuko peeked her head into the bedroom, probably wondering what those loud noises were about. She gasped when she saw her daughter crying. "What happened? Akiza?"

I looked up at Akiza's mother. "It's okay. But could you get a glass of water for her, please?"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Akiza and I were now sitting on the edge of her bed, both dressed in our nightgowns. Akiza held the glass of water in her hands, but she was still shaking lightly. Her tears had dried, but her eyes were red and puffy.

I sat next to her, not really knowing what I should do. I mean, I never got confessed to before as in love, especially not from a girl. I didn't know how I should handle it, but I did read manga and reality books about love, confession and rejection.

I intertwined my hands as my arms rested on my knees. "When… When did you start harboring those feelings for me, Akiza?"

Akiza took a small sip from the glass and let out a small pant. "I… I don't know… I know I detested you and Yusei when we met for the first time at the Daimon Area because of the Marks. But… I think I started growing soft when you encouraged me at the Fortune Cup before my Duel with that wannabe-soldier and when you actually started a conversation with me. But I got most affected during the semifinal against Yusei when you rushed out and held me close while telling me you wanted to become my friend. At that point, I started thinking by myself and doubting Sayer a bit."

I moved closer to Akiza and placed an arm around her shoulders, giving her comfort which she accepted by leaning her head on my left shoulder. She had placed the glass of water on the nightstand to her left.

"So that's why you went against Sayer's orders when the twins, Yanagi, Tanner and I were held captive at the Arcadia Movement", I said, reminiscing the night when Akiza Shadow Dueled Misty and Carly became a Dark Signer.

"Yes…", Akiza nodded. "My feelings for you being like a big sister figure grew especially during the Dark Signers adventure, but there was something that triggered these deep feelings."

"What was it?" I asked.

Akiza took a deep breath. "When you broke me free from Sayer's grip during the Shadow Duel against Misty. When you sang the Endless Song… I thought I heard an angel's voice…"

"My voice is not like an angel's…", I protested modestly, blushing lightly.

"But besides that… After spending much time around you and the others, I stared feeling strange. At the beginning, I did have a small crush on Yusei because he was kind and looked handsome…", Akiza confessed. "But there was always something about you that attracted me. I didn't know why or how, so I secretly checked on the Internet to see if I could find some clues. So… I don't know how I should say this, but… I think I'm either bi or gay."

"And you feel bad or maybe even disgusted because you're afraid what I would think about you if you told me about it like now?" I asked gently.

"Yes…", Akiza nodded. "I'm sorry…"

"There's no need to apologize", I cupped Akiza's face and made her look at me. "I'm happy you're being honest with yourself and about your sexuality. That is the most important thing. I'm not disgusted about you being gay or bi. It's just… I never expected you being a lesbian." I let go of her face as she straightened her body. "Back in my dimension, the anime you were in love with Yusei, but you never got the courage to confess to him."

"Really?" Akiza wiped away fresh tears that collected in her eyes. "They made me fall in love with him?"

"Yes", I nodded before I looked down, avoiding eye contact. "Akiza… I'm grateful for your confession, but I can't return the feelings."

"I know…", Akiza said. "I just wanted to tell you my feelings, so I would then try moving on."

I looked up at her with a smile. "You're really strong, Aki. And I hope you'll keep being this powerful girl even in the future."

"I will", Akiza nodded with a small smile. "But… Will you confess to Yusei?"

I almost choked on my own saliva. "P-Pardon?"

Akiza giggled lightly. "I've seen the way you look at him, and he looks at you in the same way. Whenever I saw him look at you with eyes full of love, I got so jealous that I was often close to bash him with my powers. Even tonight, I felt like I wanted to murder the men who sneaked a peek on you because you're so beautiful."

"Yusei loves me?" I asked myself. "No, that's impossible. But even if that was true…" I looked down once again on my bare feet. "I do not plan confessing."

"Why not?" Akiza wondered.

I sighed deeply. "Because when my mission here in your dimension is over, I will return to my dimension. I can't become Yusei's girlfriend and then give him a broken heart while he had lost his parents when he was an infant. I don't want him to lose more than he already has…"

"I… I understand", Akiza said. "You're really kind that you rather remain unhappy, just to make sure the man you love stays alive with an unbroken heart. You're strong too."

I nodded in reply. We stayed quiet for a moment until we decided to head to bed and sleep. But before I could stand up, Akiza grabbed my hand. "Could you…sleep next to me in my bed tonight? Please?" she begged.

I looked in her eyes, seeing she was seeking comfort from me. I couldn't deny her plea, so I nodded as answer. Akiza sneaked into the covers before I followed her and pulled the covers over us. Akiza snuggled close to me and I placed my left arm around her waist.

"I love you, Estelle…", Akiza mumbled, slowly getting sleepy. "But I want to see you happy…"

"Me too, Aki", I replied. "I want all of you become happy in your lives after I leave."

"But… Can't you convince the Crimson Dragon to let you stay?" Akiza asked before she yawned.

"No, I can't…", I yawned myself. "The Crimson Dragon spoke out clearly with that… Plus… I miss my parents…"

"I understand…", Akiza nodded before she closed her eyes. "Good night…"

"Oyasumi, Aki", I told her good night in Japanese.

I kept myself awake for a short time until I felt Akiza's breathing in a steady rhythm, knowing she had fallen asleep.

I thought back at my reply when I rejected Akiza's feelings. I thought I did it good and listened to her when she told me how she suspected that she was either bi or gay.

I wasn't disgusted at all about it. She was my friend and I accepted her in every way from psychic powers to sexuality. I wouldn't cast her aside because of such reasons. I wasn't that kind of person who threw aside and ignored my friends when they came out with the truth of their sexuality.

Sometimes, I hated how the people in my dimension were acting, especially when they prejudged someone without really knowing him or her. Just like with the bullying. People always searched for the smallest errors in those they disliked, without truly knowing the persons, and used those weak points to counter back and push them down into submission. The person that the bullies hurt could be the kindest ever and then they ruin that person's self-confidence and traumatize him or her for a lifetime. That was the same that had happened to me in the elementary school. My difficulties plus bullying every day equaled a big loss of self-confidence and a trauma that would probably follow me for the rest of my life. Demons were still haunting my head sometimes, giving me negative thoughts that I would never be good enough for friends and not worthy for a man or maybe never settle down and start a family.

But those demons rarely showed up now when I was surrounded by friends who accepted me for me and overlooked my small difficulties. It meant a lot to me. I truly wished I could stay with Yusei and the others and not return to my dimension, but…

What troubled me the most was my parents, especially my mother. She was very protective of me and always wished to keep me close to her. Sometimes, I could feel like I was chained to my mother and didn't have the freedom to do what I wanted. Not that she treated me like a slave, but I was too much connected to her since I didn't have anyone else in my dimension who I loved more than her.

I knew one day I would need to let go of her and become independent, but… It was hard for a daughter to let go of her mother, especially when they shared a strong bond.

I shook my head, erasing all those thoughts for the moment. If I got myself buried into the thoughts, I wouldn't be able to fall asleep due to all the emotions that often overwhelmed me.

I glanced down at Akiza, seeing her peaceful face as she slept. I smiled lightly at her before I settled my head on the soft pillow and closed my eyes to enter the dream world.

But one last question echoed in my head. What if I could somehow return to this dimension with my powers after I made it back to my dimension? That could be a solution.


	43. Akiza's Turbo Dueling Exam

**For those who remember and are wondering about the Author's Note I had posted before; the issue is solved. The user "LunacchiKurocchi" had returned with the first chapter of this fanfic, copied word by word, except for minor changes here and there, but she had taken it down…and she is terminated from the website. It seems she had been copying from other users. So, if you see someone posting a story that seems too familiar to one you read before, contact the original writer.**

**I got a question that wondered if I'm going to write the "Bonds Beyond Time" part. The answer is yes, which means it's going to happen quite soon. So please be patient for that.**

**Speaking of which, another OC of a close friend of mine is going to show up for the first time, and no; I'm not speaking about Laila Noble who showed up during the "A Lesson to Learn" chapters. She'll show up, yes, but it's about a whole new OC.**

**The chapter begins in Akiza's point of view. And sorry if it turned out too long. ^^'**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 43: Akiza's Turbo Dueling Exam**

I exited the classroom for the Turbo Dueling class. I was quite surprised to see so many people attending the class, students from the Duel Academy and non-students. I guess it was because of the WRGP atmosphere.

I smiled to myself, happy that I would soon be able to drive the Duel Runner that Yusei, Jack and Crow had built for me. It was simple, but more than enough for me to go through the exam and get my Turbo Dueling license.

My thoughts flowed back to the sleepover when I had confessed to Estelle. I was happy she didn't push me away. I was happy she was understanding and still saw me as her little sister figure. It was still a bit disappointing that she didn't feel the same for me, but I accepted it. I knew long before the confession she wouldn't return my feelings.

At the next day after breakfast, I had collected all my courage and told my parents about the speculations about my sexuality with Estelle by my side. I was afraid my parents would push me away like when I was a little girl and got my psychic powers and the Mark of the Dragon. But they were okay with it. They had accepted the fact that I was either gay or bi, just as long as I was being honest with myself. That had brought me to tears and I had hugged both Mom and Dad, thanking them for accepting my sexuality.

I had felt Estelle's hand rub my back to comfort me. I was so happy and fortunate to have such a close friend and understandable parents.

So for now, only my parents and Estelle knew about my sexuality. I had asked them not to tell anyone about it. I wanted to personally tell my friends about it when I felt I was ready.

I snapped out of my thoughts when someone pushed their elbow against my side, causing me to slightly trip on my feet and drop the small bundle of paper I had in my hand. The notes scattered around me on the floor as I heard someone chuckle mockingly at me.

I sighed and knelt down to pick up the notes. I was still being disliked by lots of students, even when they knew I wouldn't hurt them. I still had no friends in my class, except for Leo, Luna and their friends, but they were younger than me.

Suddenly I remembered what Estelle had told me about her situation with friends at school. She said she had no friends in her first school, except one who had been one year older and had Asperger syndrome herself, but she didn't know about it until she met her old friend in middle school.

"What matters the most is having close and few loyal friends. You don't need a hundred friends… You need a friend or two who can replace the hundred friends", Estelle had said.

What she had said was true. I found the friendship in the group with everyone; Yusei, Jack, Crow, Leo, Luna, Carly and Estelle, and few other people. They meant so much to me.

I was about to grab a note when a hand entered my field of vision. I looked up and came face to face with Sora Sakamoto, dressed in the school uniform. She was a girl in the same grade as me, but in different class. She had long blue hair, a small portion of it tied into a small bun on the back of her head, and some of the front bangs had grown down to her nose. She had ice-blue eyes that reflected loneliness… Something I once had myself. She wasn't so social and spent the recesses alone.

Sora picked up the other notes and handed them over to me. "Here."

I grabbed the small bunch of notes. "Thank you."

Sora nodded and stood up before she turned around and walked away. I stood up on my feet and watched her. I couldn't help but feel sad for seeing her lonely back. But… There was something about her that intrigued me. I had seen her Duel a lot and she had a dragon-based Deck just like Estelle's.

I turned my attention back to my notes and made sure I got all of them. Once I did, I walked away, wanting to get home as soon as possible and finish the homework.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

An arrow flew through the air and hit the middle of the target that was nailed on a tree. I was standing around ten meters from said tree with a quiver attached on my back and holding a bow in my left hand.

I came up with a schedule this week to practice with different kinds of weapons that could be possible for the Signers to use once they've got to learn on controlling their powers. Plus, I wanted to prepare myself and get the hang of the weapons so I could assist the Signers.

But what about my shoulder? It had healed a few days ago.

And what happened after the sleepover last week? Well… Martha did get a call from Trudge about what happened back at the WRGP party and how I even got hurt. So when I came home, I got lightly scolded by Martha for putting myself in danger. She even went with the classic method of pulling my ear as a punishment. I was pretty sure my left ear had turned into a monkey-ear now.

I was luckily not banned from going outside and see my friends. After all, I told her I needed to do preparations since it would soon be time for the Signers to unlock their powers.

I picked up another arrow from the quiver and placed it in the right position with the bow. I could hear an engine approach the area, but I ignored it. The main focus was on the target in front of me.

I pulled back the string and closed my left eye for better aim. When the arrow was aiming for the middle of the target, I opened my other eye and was about to send off the arrow when someone spoke up behind me.

"Hey, Estelle."

That had grabbed my attention just when I had let go of the arrow. The arrow hit the target, but instead of making it to the middle, it hit the circle above.

I groaned and turned around, seeing Yusei stand next to his Duel Runner. "Yusei… Can't you see I'm training, or do you need a pair of glasses?"

Yusei chuckled as he walked over to me. "Sorry about that, and no, I don't need glasses."

I snorted lightly before a small smile appeared on my lips. "It's okay. I need to take a break anyway." I took off the quiver and held it by the strap.

Yusei looked at the bow and arrows with a questioning expression. "What's this for?"

"Training, of course", I replied. "I'm practicing so I can then help you and the others when you will use weapons after unlocking your powers."

"Wait… You mean all of us Signers will be able to use weapons? Even Luna?" Yusei looked a bit concerned for a short moment with the thoughts of a young girl having weapons.

I nodded, "Yes. Even Luna." I let out a small sigh. "I don't like that idea either, but if _I_ can use weapons… Then that means the war with Yliaster is going to be more intense and dangerous than in the anime from my dimension."

Yusei nodded, looking like he was in deep thoughts. "Any idea what it could be?"

"I'm completely clueless about it. I'm sorry", I said, looking down on the ground, feeling slight ashamed.

"Hey, it's not your fault", Yusei told me with a gentle voice. "You've helped us all so far with what you knew about. But we can't be prepared for everything, no matter how much we might read or hear."

"You're right", I nodded. "So, what's your business here? Martha called you to fix something?"

Yusei chuckled lightly. "No. I wanted to ask you if you want to come to the Duel Academy's Turbo Dueling course to watch Akiza. She's going to mount her Duel Runner Jack, Crow and I built for her for the first time."

"Already?" I said with widen eyes. "But didn't she start taking Turbo Dueling classes a couple of weeks ago?"

"Yeah, but she's the best student in her class for a reason", Yusei replied, smiling a bit.

I chuckled, knowing what he meant. Akiza was a fast learner once she was hooked onto something. It was one of my special abilities too that I was born with thanks to my autism.

"Okay. Just let me put away my stuff before we head over there", I told him.

Yusei nodded and walked back to his Duel Runner while I headed inside Martha's house to put away the bow and quiver in my room before grabbing my Deck and smartphones to put them in my jacket's pockets.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

It took around thirty minutes to reach the Duel Academy due to the traffic, but we didn't rush ourselves. It seemed like Yusei had driven a bit slowly than usual while I sat behind him with my arms wrapped around his abdomen. I didn't say anything, but it was a bit weird in my eyes.

Once we reached the Duel Academy, Yusei parked his Duel Runner and we jogged to the Turbo Dueling course. We arrived just in time to see Akiza with three other men driving to the front line to start driving. We walked over to the stands to see Leo, Luna…and Laila?

"Hi, guys", I greeted as Yusei and I approached them.

Laila looked up and a smile shining brighter than the sun appeared on her lips. "Estelle!" She rushed past the twins and tackled me in a hug.

I got caught off by surprise of the actions, but I smiled motherly and patted Laila's head as she snuggled closer to me.

"Looks like you've got yourself a fan", Yusei teased me.

"Jealous?" I retorted with a playful voice.

Yusei answered with a gentle smile before he walked over to the twins, his eyes on the Turbo Dueling course.

I turned my attention down at the pink-haired girl. "How've you been since last time we met, Laila?"

Laila looked up from my abdomen with big eyes. "Good. I was hoping to see you again…because I have a question."

"Okay, but let's wait with the question. I want to watch Akiza as she drives her Duel Runner", I told her.

Laila nodded and let go of me as we walked over to the trio. We watched the first two men who got quite a lecture from the Turbo Dueling teacher before it was Akiza's turn. The twins and Laila cheered for her as she drove past us.

The way she drove the Duel Runner showed how much she enjoyed the speed, but she was accelerating too much for the curve. Even I, who had almost no experience of riding a Duel Runner, could clearly see it would end up in a crash. And guess what; she did crash into one of those piles of empty cardboard boxes that made sure the drivers wouldn't get seriously injured.

But the failure didn't stop Akiza from keeping training. In fact, she spent a couple of hours after class to drive across the Turbo Dueling course. Yusei, Laila, Leo, Luna and I stayed to watch her as Yusei sometimes gave her some advice to improve her driving.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Akiza made huge improvement within a few days, but she kept crashing every once in a while. I was surprised her body didn't scream for rest, or she was hiding the pain just to not make us worried.

Yusei, the twins and I kept coming back to watch her driving. Laila had to do an essay for her class so she couldn't join us. But what about her question? Well, she asked me to have a Duel with her one day. I promised I would Duel her one day, but I didn't know when. Laila came up with the idea of Dueling when the cherry trees would blossom in the giant cheery tree park in the end of March.

Just like in Japan in my dimension, the citizens in New Domino City celebrated the blossoming by going to the park and have a picnic and simply enjoy life. Dueling was also allowed during the days when the blossoming was ongoing. It sounded like a good idea, and it seemed even my friends wanted to have an outing in the park, so we made plans for those days.

Akiza crashed once again at the sharp curve, so we rushed over to help her. But she was lost in her own thoughts on how to deal with the sharp curve.

"I think she's crashed one too many times", Leo commented.

I had enough of seeing Akiza crashing, so I walked over to her as she picked up her Duel Runner. "Akiza, that's enough. Let's take a short break and let your body rest", I told her.

"I can't", Akiza shook her head. "Not while I'm into it."

"I know, Aki, but you can't keep pushing yourself like this", I retorted. "Take at least five minutes break to catch your breath."

"I'm fine…", Akiza started before she suddenly looked dizzy. She let go of her Duel Runner and was about to collapse, but I caught her in time, holding her around her waist.

"Akiza!" the twins exclaimed in worry.

I moved Akiza so her right arm went across my shoulders as I held her waist with my left hand. "See? You need to take a break."

Akiza stirred before she looked up at me through her helmet. "I…guess you're right."

I helped Akiza walk back to the stands with the twins following me and Yusei leading Akiza's Duel Runner. I set down Akiza gently on a bench before she removed her helmet. She took in a deep breath of fresh air before she exhaled it.

"Better?" I asked, sitting next to her.

"Yeah…", Akiza nodded lightly, holding her helmet.

"No matter how much you reject your body, it will still give up on you. So remember to take breaks", I told her.

"Estelle's right", Yusei said. "Back when I started learning how to drive a Duel Runner, I crashed lots of times and made quite a high score on gaining bruises." That comment made the rest of us giggle. "Whenever I felt it was too much, I knew I had to rest or I would just wear myself out before I got the hangs of it."

"I understand", Akiza nodded before she rested her head on my shoulder. "I'll take a quick break now before I continue."

I smiled gently and rubbed Akiza's back, feeling the leather of her suit. I recalled the time when I helped her choosing the leather suit. She had a hard time choosing until I helped her on how to lightening up the choices until she got the one she was wearing.

My ears caught the low whispering of Leo and Luna who were standing behind Yusei.

"I smell something weird…"

"What…? The burning tires…?"

"No, Luna…! I smell a love triangle…"

I made sure to hold back a laugh. Leo was so cute whenever he had his moments.

But he was half-right. It did feel like a love triangle moment since Yusei probably liked Akiza while Akiza liked me and I liked Yusei…

Quite a love triangle, that's for sure.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Akiza's POV**

I kept training with my Duel Runner, but I still had troubles with the curves. I made sure to take breaks several times so I wouldn't collapse again, and I didn't want Estelle to worry about me.

One evening, Yusei and I were in the garage as he did some modifications on my Duel Runner that would help me with the curves.

"This should help stabilizing the handling, Akiza", Yusei told me, never looking up from the Duel Runner.

I observed what he did in order to memorize it so I could one day fix my Duel Runner myself. I was really happy to have someone helping me with the Duel Runner. Yusei was just like a big brother. He was even better than Sayer…except the former leader of the Arcadia Movement had felt more like a father to me.

My mind traveled back to the sleepover I had with Estelle after the WRGP party. Then my thoughts went to Estelle on how she refused to confess to Yusei just to keep his heart whole and not leave him heartbroken.

It was quite admirable, but at the same time I felt sorry for Estelle. She and Yusei would work out great together, but because of the different dimension thing none of them could be truly happy.

I knew this wasn't my business to sneak around in my friends' love-life, but I was really curious about Yusei and his thoughts about Estelle.

"Yusei", I spoke up.

"Yeah?" Yusei replied, his eyes still on my Duel Runner.

"What are your feelings for Estelle?"

Yusei stopped moving as soon as I said the question. He was also very quiet which made me feel like I shouldn't have said that at all. I suddenly felt like I regretted opening my mouth before Yusei started working again, his eyes following every movement he made.

I felt uncomfortable with the silence since Yusei hadn't given me a reply. I looked away, looking at nothing until I heard the man say something.

"I…like her."

I turned my attention back at Yusei who had finished doing the adjustment. He remained on his kneeling pose as he put away his tools in that worn-out toolbox. He seriously needed a new one. The toolbox looked like a mummy with all that duct tape.

"Just like or like _like_ her?" I continued, feeling the curiosity grow.

Yusei looked up at me with an arched eyebrow, looking slightly confused. "Why're you asking those questions?"

"N-No reason", I lightly stuttered. "It's just… I often see you watching her whenever she's not having her attention on you."

Now I spotted a blush creeping onto Yusei's cheeks. It had a very neutral shade, but it was still visible for the eye.

"I…", Yusei began in a shy voice. "I'm worried about her since she seems to be a target for those who are in charge of Yliaster."

I nodded, understanding what he meant. "Yeah… Therefore, we need to protect her. We do owe her that much after she had helped us…especially me."

"Plus, she's pushing herself over her own limits", Yusei added. "I've noticed how she looks skinnier now than when I met her for the first time."

"I noticed that too", I said. "She's taking too much responsibility and yet she cares more about others than herself."

None of us said anything more after that. We both knew what we thought about. Estelle needed to take breaks and not push herself just to make sure we would win against Yliaster and put an end to it.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

Okay, how did this happen? Why was I in a rollerblade arena? Oh, yes, now I remember! I had been in my room, writing and editing some of my stories when Akiza had called, telling me she was now qualified to take the exam for the Turbo Dueling license. Yusei had tried helping her teaching a move with the Duel Runner, but she failed to copy him. So Yusei came up with the idea of using rollerblades as an aid to make Akiza get the feeling of driving backwards. Akiza had asked me to join them, inclusive Leo and Luna, to the skating ring to simply spend some time together, though I knew she was still in love with me and wanted to be close to me as much as possible. I was surprised she was able to hide her feelings quite well in front of our friends.

I had never skated with rollerblades before, but I had some experience with ice skating when I was young, so I caught up quickly with the skating. I helped Akiza with the basic by going around the ring at the edge where she could hold on before she felt confident enough to skate by herself. After that, Yusei took over the lesson.

Leo and Luna had joined us and skated around with us instead of sitting and watching us boringly.

I decided to take a break and got out of the skating ring to sit down on a bench. I had taken off my jacket and tied up my hair into a ponytail before entering the ring. I pulled off my hair from the ponytail and pushed the hair behind my ears, revealing a pair of diamond earrings. Those earrings had been on me since I arrived to this dimension.

I watched the twins, Yusei and Akiza skating around, having a great time together. I smiled at the sight, feeling happy. I had missed having friends and spending time with them back in my dimension. I wished I could stay here, even when I knew the team would one day split up after the "adventure", but I still wanted to be here. I was a part of the team and my friends accepted and liked me.

I saw from the corner of my eyes how a man in early thirties sat down next to me. I frowned lightly and moved slight away from him. I took a closer look on him. He was a bit taller than Yusei, had tanned skin, short light brown hair and green eyes. He was dressed in casual clothes and looked fresh, except he smelt a bit of tobacco which made me wrinkle my nose.

"Excuse me, sir", I started, getting his attention. "Do you need something?"

The man got a soft facial expression, as if he was trying to look cool and yet acting like he was watching over his girlfriend he loved so much. "Nothing… Just liking the view of your beauty."

That sent a shiver down my spine. I cast a glance down on his left hand, seeing a golden ring on his ring finger. He was married and had the nerve to flirt?!

I tried holding back a grimace of disgust while trying to think out a way to send him off verbally, but not being angry or irritated. I did try intimidating him with my glare, but that didn't work on him.

"I'm with some friends right now, so could you please sit somewhere else, thank you?" I asked.

The man looked around before answering. "Well, I don't see anyone close to us." He leant in closer to my face, making me move back while feeling disgusted at his actions. "So, how about we skip this place and-"

Before the man could finish the sentence, someone slammed down a familiar magenta sports-bag between us. We both jumped at the sudden action and looked up to see both Yusei and Akiza equally glaring at the man.

"_We_ are her friends, so she's not alone here, bastard", Akiza growled.

"Besides, you are a married man. Shouldn't you be spending time with your wife?" Yusei pointed out, seeing the ring on the man's finger.

"Or are you cheating on your wife, womanizer?" Akiza added.

The man cold sweated before he stood up and walked away fast. We watched him walk over to two men who appeared to be his friends. They turned tail and walked out of the building.

I let out a sigh in relief and looked up at Yusei and Akiza with a small smile. "Thank you, guys. I tried telling him off, but he refused to listen", I said as I stood up from the bench.

"Anything to help you. He looked quite the stubborn type", Akiza said as she grabbed her sports-bag in which she had her turbo suit and helmet.

"He didn't try doing anything on you?" Yusei asked with a slight worried voice.

I shook my head. "No, luckily, he didn't."

I heard the twins whisper something in the background again.

"There's that smell again…"

"Leo, when will you shut up about the love triangle…?"

"But, Luna… Look at them… It's like in the comic books when the main protagonist likes someone, but that someone likes someone else…"

"Ehh… I don't get it…"

Leo let out a grunt of disappointment.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The day finally arrived. It was time for Akiza to take the exam and get her Turbo Dueling license. Our entire group had gathered by the stands with me, Leo and Luna holding light blue fans I had made, with Akiza's name written on with red color and rose stickers spread all over.

I did notice the three guys from before who disliked Akiza sitting by the corner of the stands, the leader having a smirk on his face. I knew what he was planning, but I didn't say anything.

Akiza stood by her Duel Runner that had been dramatically improved in appearance by Yusei, Jack and Crow. She made sure her suit was on properly and put on the helmet while waiting for her turn to Turbo Duel against a Sector Security guy who was currently Turbo Dueling with someone else for the exam, who sadly failed.

But guess who the Sector Security guy was?

Yep, Officer Trudge.

The others got really surprised to see him being the guy that Akiza had to defeat in the Turbo Duel.

Trudge gave us a greeting before he called for Akiza. "You're up, Akiza! Congrats for getting this far. Now there's just one thing standing between you and your Turbo license, and that thing is handsome, wears a sharp uniform and happens to be Officer Trudge! And I plan wiping the road with you, kid."

"Oh, come on!" Crow groaned as he sat down. "He's really gonna trash-talk after all we've been through together?!"

"There's no way she can defeat him", Jack stated.

"Don't be prejudice, Jack", I told him. "Believe in Akiza."

"I do believe in her. I just stated the fact", Jack retorted.

Akiza and Trudge prepared themselves and sped off when the referee told them to go. We watched the duo drive towards the first corner, hoping Akiza would take it…

And she did!

Akiza got to draw first while Trudge tried to lightly shake her up with words. She summoned Revival Rose in defense mode, but then tried to use a Speed Spell card which was denied.

"Did she just do what I think she just did?!" Crow exclaimed, completely surprised.

Jack nodded, "I guess she'd forgotten the Speed Spells requires some actual speed."

"She's more nervous than I thought", Yusei said a bit worriedly.

"She will make it through", I told the guys. "Just keep watching."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Akiza had 300 Life Points left when it happened. She Synchro summoned her new Synchro Monster Splendid Rose and managed to get Trudge's Life Points down to 1000 when that leader of the group of trio activated the trap.

Trudge had driven past the shelves of metal pipes when the shelves broke down. The metal pipes were heading towards Akiza. We all cried out in fear for her. I was even prepared to call out one of my Duel Monsters to save her in case she wasn't able to use the trick that Yusei had taught her.

Thankfully, Akiza was able to dodge the metal pipes and drive after Trudge to finish the Turbo Duel with a splendid show. Steam blew out from Trudge's Duel Runner once he lost and braked.

We all cheered for Akiza, but some noise next to us grabbed our attention. Jack had heard the trio confess they had set the trap to hurt Akiza, so he gave them a big lesson.

"And next time, leave our friend alone", Jack threatened them.

I stood up and walked over to the beaten-up guys as the others walked to join Akiza, but Yusei noticed I wasn't following them. "Estelle?" he said.

I looked over my shoulder, giving him a small smile. "I'll catch up. I'm going to turn these guys in for almost harming Akiza and setting up the trap." Yusei nodded and turned around to catch up with the others.

I snapped my fingers, allowing Sun Dragon Inti coming out. He stretched three of his necks to grab the guys by the collars before he followed me. I walked up to Trudge who was talking to the referee who wrote something on a clipboard.

"Officer Trudge", I called, getting his attention.

Trudge turned around and looked up to see Sun Dragon Inti holding the three guys. He cast a glare at them. "So those guys are responsible for the trap back then?"

"Yes, sir", I nodded. "Jack did quite a beating already, but I think they need a punishment from a Sector Security man to understand not to mess around."

"Gladly", Trudge nodded. "Just tell your dragon to drop them here and I'll make sure they're taken care of."

Sun Dragon Inti dropped the three guys, letting them fall on the concrete on purpose so they could get hurt a bit more. Once he finished growling at them, he returned to his card in my Deck that was in the pocket of my jacket.

I told Trudge good luck for the other soon-to-become Turbo Duelists and walked over to my friends. Akiza sat on her Duel Runner as she and Yusei shared a handshake, her helmet resting in her other hand. I was happy to see Akiza succeeded with the exam, but it made me jealous that I couldn't try Turbo Dueling myself. Oh, well, I had to accept it.

Akiza spotted me walking up to the other side of her Duel Runner. Her eyes shone up even brighter than before. She dropped her helmet before she literally threw herself on me. I was caught off guard by her sudden action, but I managed to stay on my feet while wrapping my arms around her.

"I did it, Estelle…", Akiza said in a low, yet happy voice. "I'm a Turbo Duelist…"

I smiled warmly. "Congratulations, Aki. I knew you could do it."

Akiza snuggled closer to me, her chin resting on my shoulder. I looked up and saw the others watching us with a strange facial expression I couldn't identify. Maybe… A combination of shock and surprise? I just gave them a small smile and shrugged my shoulders.

"Shouldn't we celebrate this victory?" Luna suggested to break the awkward moment.

Akiza let go of me and turned to the others. "Actually, my parents are waiting at home with an entire party. So dinner's on me."

"Yay! Free food!" Leo cheered joyfully.

"Dinner sounds perfect", Jack commented. "I did get hungry after beating those clowns who tried sabotaging the exam."

Akiza led her Duel Runner as the others followed her. I was just about to go after them when I spotted something in the distance. It looked like a Duel Runner and the rider had long blonde hair.

"Sherry…", I mumbled.

I remembered from reading sources back in my dimension how Sherry had seen the Turbo Duel, so I suspected it was her.

"Are you coming, Estelle?" Yusei called.

I snapped out of it and saw Yusei was waiting for me. I nodded with a small smile and walked up. I was about to walk past him when I felt him grab my hand gently. I looked up in surprise when his hand squeezed mine lightly. Yusei kept his poker face and looking straight ahead, but he did have a small blush on his cheeks. I just smiled at him with a blush myself as I wrapped my fingers onto his hand.

This was my first time holding Yusei's hand in a more intimate way, but he was the one who took the initiative. I didn't however let my feelings go haywire. I felt my heart beat faster in a soft way. Warmth spread from my chest as my shy smile remained on my face. I wanted to cherish this moment, even though it ended up short when Yusei and I made it to our group who had waited for us.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Sora Sakamoto belongs to **_**Akane Raikou**_**.**

**Laila Noble belongs to **_**Springflowerangel**_**.**


	44. White Day's Killer – Part 1

**As you can see, I skipped Episode 76 since it's not really something I wanted to include. But there will be some mentions since this chapter starts like one day after Jack's heroic actions against the Duel Runner robbers.**

**I'm actually thinking of changing the rating of the fanfic to M since there are going to be more blood and slight gore scenes in the future… You know what? For safety matters, this fanfic is now rated as M.**

**The chapter is inspired by the manga/anime "Akame Ga Kill!"; chapters "Kill the Killer" and "Kill the Teigu User" from volume 2, and Episode 4.**

**And today is my birthday, so I wanted to celebrate by posting a new chapter. :) The chapter was first intended to be one whole instead of split up, but the original would have ended up in around 14 pages and more than 7000 words.**

**The chapter starts in normal point of view.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 44: White Day's Killer – Part 1**

It was nice weather so lots of people from the Fountain Plaza district were out to enjoy the spring weather. But there was one man who stayed indoors to do some research. He was typing on his laptop until he finally found what he was looking for. It was a website of…

"Jewelries?"

Yusei jumped in his seat and looked over his shoulder to see Akiza standing behind him, dressed in her leather suit and helmet under her arm.

The young man closed shut his laptop before Akiza could look closer. "You scared me there, Akiza. Say something next time, thank you."

"Sorry, but I thought you heard me when I drove into the garage", Akiza said. "But why were you looking at jewelries?"

Yusei couldn't control the blush that spread over his cheeks now when he knew he was busted. "Well, I…" He rubbed the back of his head, looking down to avoid eye contact. "White Day is soon coming-"

"Wait, White Day?" Akiza interrupted him before gasping out loud. "I almost forgot about it! I need to get something for Estelle!" She calmed down and turned to Yusei. "So you're looking for a present to Estelle since she gave you chocolate on Valentine's Day?"

Yusei had sweat dropped at Akiza's drama, but returned to his calm personality. "Yeah, pretty much…" He turned back and opened the laptop, the website of jewelries coming back. "It's just… I don't know what to get for her. She never speaks about her favorite things…"

"If that's so, buy something that she can use", Akiza suggested.

Yusei looked over his shoulder again with an arching eyebrow. "Something useful?"

"Yeah", Akiza nodded. "I talked to Estelle a couple of days ago. She said she's not really into jewelries or clothes like the other girls and women. She rather wants things she can use, like notebooks to write her stories, or yarns for knitting…"

"So… Practical stuff?" Yusei questioned before a small smile reached his lips. "Sounds just like her."

Akiza nodded in agreement with a smile. "Definitely." But her "evil" side was thinking of getting a better present for Estelle than Yusei could ever get.

Unknowingly to the duo, Crow and Jack stood by the stairs and had heard everything Yusei and Akiza had talked about. They retreated fast before the duo could spot the spies.

"Looks like those two are going to have problems getting a White Day present for Estelle", Crow told Jack.

Jack, his head slightly bandaged after an adventure yesterday evening, nodded with his arms crossed. "But I'm glad Yusei chose to fall in love with a woman who doesn't want to be spoiled with expensive gifts."

A mischievous smirk grew on Crow's lips. "Oh yeah? Well, don't you have a certain journalist to think about for the White Day?"

A blush painted through Jack's cheeks before he glared at his orange-haired foster brother. "Where the hell did you get that from?!"

Crow laughed as he wiped off a tear from his right eye. "You've got it hard too, Jackie! I hope you'll get the perfect present for Carly."

"Why, you…!" Jack growled, raising a fist.

Crow yelped and ran down the stairs with Jack after him. Yusei and Akiza looked up to see the tall blonde man chasing the Blackwing Duelist around in the garage, ready to give Crow a beating.

The "love-rivals" sweat dropped at the sight. They had heard the dialogue between Jack and Crow, so they knew what the circus was about.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The night arrived, which made the people retire from the day's activities, except for those who were criminals and took actions at night. However, there was one certain man in 27 years who was taking the crimes too far.

"Please… Please don't kill me!" a woman cried panicky.

The woman was held up by her throat after she had witnessed her boyfriend being murdered in front of her. They had meant to take a short cut by walking through an alleyway, only to encounter a tall man with shaved head and a psychopathic facial expression, his eyes hidden by a pair of black-shaded glasses.

"Oh, come on", the man chuckled. "It's your own fault for walking around at this time of night. Didn't your parents warn you about the scary monsters that come out after dark?"

"I'll do anything! Please spare me!" the woman cried, begging to stay alive.

"Really?" the man wondered, a smirk on his lips. "You would be willing to do anything I asked?"

"Yes! I will! I'll do it, so please!" the woman nodded.

"In that case…", the man smirked darkly. "Where can I find the woman named Estelle Malmström?"

"I… I don't know that person!" the woman replied honestly. "I don't know!"

The man frowned before his smirk grew wider. "And what if I told you I want to see your head separated from your body? Would you be willing then?"

Before the woman could reply, the man had used one of his swords, strapped on his arms that were hidden by his long-armed coat, to cut off the woman's body, still holding her head. He dropped the head onto the concrete, letting out a sigh of defeat.

"None of them knew about Estelle…", the man mumbled before his smirk returned. "Well, I have to look deeper into it." His brown, emotionless eyes glowed as he walked away from the alleyway, the wind caressing his long coat.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I woke up suddenly from my sleep when I felt like I was suffocating. I gasped deeply to regain the breath and calm down my rapid-beating heart.

I looked up at the window and saw the big moon glowing at the sky among the stars and a few clouds. Something felt a bit off.

I gripped my right arm where my Mark was, hoping nothing horrible would happen. After all, it was soon time for Leo and Luna to get their Duel Boards and Duel one of the Three Pure Nobles.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Sector Security and ambulances had arrived to the alleyway after someone had made a call when they had heard cries coming from there. Sector Security sealed off the area and shooed away the curious people who had been awakened by the sirens in the middle of the night.

Trudge and Mina were at the crime scene and both of them felt sicker than ever before. Even one Sector Security guy had to run and throw up after seeing the couple's heads being separated from their bodies.

"They are the sixth and seventh victims this week", Trudge said, having a bad taste in his mouth. "It must be the same person who killed the others."

"The Beheader…", Mina mumbled worriedly. "But the thing is… He strikes at different parts of New Domino City. It's like…" She grew silent to think. "…He's looking for something. Or someone."

Trudge looked confusedly at Mina. "What do you think it could be?"

"Well…", Mina mumbled before she realized something. "We're close to Fountain Plaza district where Jack, Yusei and Crow lives. What if the Beheader-"

"Whoever or whatever he's looking for, we need to warn the district", Trudge concluded. "And I'm sure he's not after the boys. So don't worry about them."

Mina wasn't convinced by Trudge's words, but nodded.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yusei rubbed his eyes as he walked to the kitchen to get a hot cup of tea. He had been up half the night fixing the engine prototype again while looking for stuff for Estelle on the Internet. So far, he didn't find anything as her present for White Day, but he wasn't under pressure.

Yusei stepped inside the kitchen to see Crow and Jack staring down with big eyes on the newspaper. Jack held a cup of tea in his hand as he stood next to Crow who sat on a chair with a plate with a ham sandwich.

"What's wrong, guys?" Yusei asked slight worriedly as he walked over to the stove to pour hot water into a cup to make some tea.

Jack looked up at the raven-haired man. "And a good morning to you." The bandage around his head was now removed.

"The serial killer killed two more people", Crow told Yusei, turning the newspaper so Yusei could take a look.

Yusei returned to the table with the cup in his hand and looked down on the newspaper. It showed a photo of the crime scene; blood spread over on the concrete, but the bodies had been removed. An article next to the photo said the Beheader killed two people close to Fountain Plaza district, so Sector Security went out with a huge warning to tell people to stay indoors at night.

"Disgusting…", Yusei mumbled as he glared at the newspaper.

"People killed each other back in the old Satellite, but I've never heard anyone literally removing someone's head off the body", Jack commented.

"Guess we have to be careful when we walk outside at night", Crow said before taking a big bite of his sandwich.

Yusei studied the article and read the locations of the places in New Domino City where the Beheader had made his moves. He arched an eyebrow when he realized the Beheader had moved from north to south of the city, like the serial killer was looking for something.

"Well, gotta go, guys! Job's not gonna get done by itself!" Crow announced before he jumped out of the chair. He quickly washed the plate he had used before running downstairs to the garage.

Jack drank the last drop of his tea while trying to imagine he was drinking coffee. How much he wished to drink coffee again, but he had promised to limit himself to one cup of instant coffee once a week and he had already drunken that cup.

The blonde man looked up to see Yusei deep in thoughts as the raven-haired man looked at the phantom picture of the Beheader. "Something wrong, mate?" Jack asked.

Yusei looked up from the newspaper, running a hand through his bangs. "Nothing really…"

"Is it about the White Day present for Estelle?" Jack questioned.

Yusei didn't say anything, but he had a worried expression. "Something about this man…bothers me."

"How come?" Jack wondered as he put his cup in the sink.

"I don't know… It's like a sixth sense or something."

"Don't tell me that man could be someone from Yliaster?"

"It's possible…"

"Look, Yusei. I've got to go for my job too, so why don't you call Estelle to come over and talk to her about it?"

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

Yusei sounded really worried when he called, so I came over to the garage straight after breakfast to see what was the matter with him. He had been working on the engine prototype when I stepped inside the garage, but he looked up when he heard me open the door.

"What's the matter, Yusei?" I asked him as soon as I walked over to him.

Yusei stood up from the floor and walked over to the desk to grab the newspaper. "Have you seen the newspaper?"

"No, not yet. Why?" I wondered.

Yusei walked over to me and held the newspaper out to me. I grabbed it and took a closer look at the page. My eyes widened when I saw the photo of blood on concrete. I read the heading, seeing the Beheader had killed people again.

"The Beheader again?" I mumbled.

Yusei nodded, "He killed two people close to Fountain Plaza district, so Sector Security is warning the society around here to stay indoors at nightfall."

I nodded before looking up at the man in front of me. "And something about this is bothering you?"

"Yeah", Yusei nodded. "I got this feeling that this man is connected to Yliaster."

I turned the page of the newspaper to see the phantom picture of the Beheader. His face was dull, like someone had used an eraser and left the marks behind that covered most of the face. His head was completely shaven which reminded me of a man I had known back in my dimension who was around at the same age as this man.

"Well… From what I know, there was never anything mentioned about a serial killer who kills his victims by removing their heads in the anime", I said. "This is completely unknown to me."

"So… This man could _not_ be from Yliaster?" Yusei asked.

"I don't know…", I replied.

Yusei was about to ask something when the home phone rang. He walked over to take the call while I folded the newspaper and kept thinking about the Beheader. Something about him felt strange…

Yusei ended the call and turned to me. "I've got a costumer who wants me to fix their refrigerator."

"Then I should not keep you busy", I smiled lightly and placed the newspaper on the desk. "I need to go back and help Martha with the daycare."

Yusei nodded, "You better go then. I know Martha is quite protective of you."

"Just like when you, Jack and Crow were younger and made your small pranks around the house", I retorted with a playful voice while winking.

Yusei blushed really hard and looked down to let his bangs hide his face. "Martha told you about that…?"

"Yep", I smiled. "It's really cute to hear how a calm man like you used to be a tiny prankster."

Yusei groaned in embarrassment as I slightly teased him. He was so cute when he acted shy, like a boy who got caught by stealing some cookies.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV**

White Day was tomorrow and I had no idea what to get for Estelle. I did have one thing for Akiza since she had given us all chocolate on Valentine's Day, and that was a cell phone charm in the shape of a Blue Rose Dragon.

I've been having the strange feelings about Akiza lately. She seemed to be too close to Estelle, as if she was… No, Akiza couldn't be gay. Or… What if she really was?

It didn't matter. As long as Akiza remained honest to herself, her sexuality was just fine. I guess I did have a small crush on her when I met her for the first time as Akiza Izinski and not as the Black Rose Witch during the Fortune Cup before I started having stronger feelings for Estelle.

I was on my way home with a small bag with groceries since we had run out of a few things that Crow needed for dinner. I knew it was dangerous to walk around in the dark, but it was really close to the garage, so I suspected nothing would happen.

Well… It turned out I was wrong.

I was about to walk past an alleyway when I heard a noise coming from there. I looked to the left and saw…

"Estelle?" I mumbled.

Estelle stood there in the light of a street light, wearing a gentle smile.

I took a step forward. "What are you doing-"

Estelle turned around and ran away. Her actions made me drop the bag of groceries before I ran after her. "Estelle, wait!" I called. She didn't answer me. She just kept running to who knew where.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I suddenly felt a shiver run down my spine as I wiped clean the dinner table. My sixth sense warned me something was going to happen soon. I walked back to the kitchen to wash the cloth I had in my hand when my cell phone vibrated in the back pocket of my jeans. I quickly wiped my hands with a rag before I pulled out the cell phone.

**HQ**

That was the nickname I used for the guys' home phone number. I accepted the call and put the cell phone next to my right ear.

"Hello?"

"_Estelle? It's Crow!_" He sounded really worried and agitated.

"Crow? What's wrong?"

"_Yusei was going to the little market close to the garage to buy supplies, but he has been gone in more than twenty minutes, so Jack and I went to check if he was okay… But we only found the bag with supplies! Yusei's missing!_"

I gasped in fear when I heard the news. Yusei missing plus a serial killer wandering around close to Fountain Plaza district equaled big trouble.

"I'll go and look for him! Stay in the garage until I tell you so! I have a bad feeling about this…"

"_Okay… I'll try chaining Jack because he's ready to explode!_"

"_Am not!_" Jack's voice roared in the background.

"I'll call back if I need help or have news!"

I ended the call and rushed to the hallway to put my boots on before I ran outside. I looked up and saw the moon was actually crimson tonight. Was it some kind of a sign that something was wrong? Or was the Crimson Dragon trying to send me a message?

I ignored it for the moment. My biggest priority was Yusei's safety.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Yusei followed "Estelle" to a big empty square far away from buildings. He rested his hands on his knees to regain his breath. Once he got it back, he looked up to see "Estelle" stand in the middle of the square, her smile still painted on her lips.

"Estelle…", Yusei mumbled. "Why did you lead me to this place?"

"Estelle" didn't say anything. Yusei started getting weird feelings about her. Something felt a bit off.

"Estelle…", Yusei took a step forward. "Is something the matter?" No reply. "Why won't you talk? Unless…" The raven-haired man felt a glare grow on his eyes. "…You're not her."

"Estelle" chuckled too deeply for a woman before Yusei saw her transform right in front of him. The woman turned into a tall man in 27 years, around the same height as Jack, and had shaved head, black-shaded glasses, and wearing a long coat and pants.

"Very perspective", the man chuckled. "Even though you saw something special, you could look through it."

Yusei jumped back in alert when he saw the new figure in front of him. "So that Estelle was just an illusion?" He took a closer look at the man before his eyes widened in realization. "Wait… Aren't you-"

"Oh yes, I am…", the man smirked as he unleashed his swords from the sleeves of his coat. "Niklas the Beheader."

"You are…", Yusei growled as anger filled his body. "That serial killer!"

The raven-haired man held out his right hand and concentrated on his Mark. The Head Mark started glowing as a spiral of fire reached down to his hand to form a sword.

That is correct. Yusei had started practicing on his powers ever since he had unlocked them. He had been studying, to his slight embarrassment, fantasy books that contained magic and even read fanfiction on the Internet to understand the concept of using powers. Estelle had given him small clues, so he only knew how to summon a weapon which was right now a sword.

Niklas chuckled, "Hmm… If you wait for your friends you are living with… But do you have that kind of a chance? That's what you thought, isn't it?"

Yusei's eyes widened in shock. *_Did he just read my thoughts or something?_* He noticed the black-shaded glasses on the man's face. *_Or… Could those glasses be the source of his power?_*

"Correct!" Niklas exclaimed. "A man gave me those if I promised to bring him a certain woman who I actually happen to know… But I couldn't find her yet. You do know who I'm talking about, right? Because you kept mentioning her name."

Yusei's anger grew when he realized who Niklas was talking about. "You'll never get Estelle!"

"Oh, is that so?" Niklas grinned evilly. "But I could try using my glasses to read your thoughts and find out where she's staying before I kill you. These glasses have five visionary powers, so I have a huge advantage. I can tell my opponent's thoughts, just by looking at their expression. My observations are sharp to the ultimate degree. Want a shrunken head as a reward?"

"Like I want!" Yusei glared at Niklas. "But you sure talk a lot for a murderer."

"Well, my recent hobby is to talk…", Niklas replied. "By the way, I found you with the power of my Far Sight." Yusei prepared himself to attack Niklas while he was talking, thinking the bald man was being distracted by his monologue. "Even at night or in fog…" Yusei rushed forward and tried slashing Niklas who avoided him easily. "…I can see through things extremely far away!"

Yusei caught himself and landed on the ground with one knee down.

"Excellent!" Niklas laughed. "You thought if you attacked while I was talking, something would come of it?" He pushed his glasses up a bit. "That's impossible. I can see everything within your heart."

Yusei charged again as Niklas started getting involved in the fight as well. "You'll take a huge step, then swing from above…", the serial killer said, avoiding Yusei's sword. "Then strike up…" Niklas blocked the incoming sword with both his blades. "…which was a fake, to aim for my throat!"

Niklas dodged for Yusei's sword and slashed him on his abdomen. "That's what you thought, wasn't it?"

Blood leaked out from the wound as pain washed through Yusei. The Signer collapsed on his knees as he held his sore abdomen. Luckily, that wound wasn't deep, but it still stained his clothes as the blood dropped onto the ground. Niklas towered above him, having an amused expression. He was certainly enjoying this.

Yusei realized Niklas was experienced while he was still on a basic level. He wouldn't be able to defeat Niklas, but he hoped his pain could be sent through the Mark of the Dragon to alert the others so they could come and help him before it was too late.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Niklas is based on a real person who was once my fake ex-boyfriend, but I used a different name for him here.**


	45. White Day's Killer – Part 2

**Second part up! And thank you for the congratulations for my birthday. I so wanted to post the other part on the same day, but it had to be the day after. **

**The chapter starts in normal point of view.**

**WARNING! Character death.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 45: White Day's Killer – Part 2**

"The expression on the person's face when you chop their head off is irresistibly amazing!" Niklas laughed with a psychopathic expression. "The most common is the blank stare. And they always say "Eh?"." Yusei felt disgusted at the man's sick mentality. "I wonder what kind of expression you'll have. Splendid…"

The Signer got up on his feet, raising his sword. "I don't get it why you enjoy killing people or why you're after Estelle… But you won't kill me!" He charged once again, trying to slash Niklas who avoided every attack.

"Wonderful. Youths are so straightforward", Niklas kept going with his monologue. "I'm liking you even more. I'll add you to my shrunken heads collection and I will show your head to Estelle so she will give up willingly and come with me!"

The psychopath moved fast with his arms and slashed Yusei, trying to get his head. But Yusei used both his arms and sword to protect himself from the dual blades. His arms however got slashed, but those were minor wounds compared to the one on his abdomen. Even that, Yusei felt the energy sip from his arms which made him drop his sword in exhaustion once Niklas stopped attacking him to see his handiwork.

"A magnificent wound I've inflicted upon you, if I do say so myself", Niklas chuckled.

Yusei decided to stall the time by asking Niklas some questions. "W-Why are you doing this…?" He kept glaring at Niklas. "Why are you after Estelle?"

"Oh? I thought I told you already", Niklas replied amusedly. "Back in my dimension, a man walked up to me one day and told me I could become stronger if I did a favor for him; to bring the woman I once knew. So I agreed on the deal and got transported to this fictional world called Yu-Gi-Oh! and started looking for Estelle. But none of the people I asked knew about her, so in order to cover my tracks… I made sure they would remain silent for the rest of their pitiful lives."

Yusei spat out some blood from his mouth. "And… Who was this man?"

"Hmm? Trying to get out some classified information from my mouth?" Niklas wondered. "That's not going to work. My so-called boss told me to never reveal his name or any information…except this. He's part of Yliaster."

Yusei gasped when he heard the name. His sixth sense had warned him about Yliaster was behind of this psychopath who killed people.

The Signer reached down to pick up his sword. He was determinate to take down Niklas to keep everyone safe… Especially Estelle. But this confirmed Yliaster was after the Priestess for an unknown reason.

*_He's looking into my heart, so I'll keep it simple…_*, Yusei thought as he held the sword with both his hands. *_I'm putting everything on the line…with one strike!_*

"Well, that's very valiant of you", Niklas smirked. "I'm sure your wounds hurt. I, the master of executions, shall relieve you from that."

Yusei was once thankful for the time he had been in the Enforcers back when he had been a teenager. He rushed faster than expected at Niklas who got caught off guard. Yusei and Niklas slashed each other before Yusei ran past the psychopath and landed on one knee again.

A small wound of Yusei's sword had been added on Niklas's right cheek that leaked lightly. *_His attack was much faster than I anticipated._*

Yusei got up on his feet, smirking lightly. "I almost got him." In the next second, a big slash on his back started leaking, causing him to gasp in pain and lose balance. While he was falling down to the ground, he turned around to look at Niklas, his mouth slightly bleeding too. "You completely missed my neck. You're not a master, after all", the Signer commented.

"Silence!" Niklas roared as he ran towards Yusei to finish him once and for all.

A katana shot down from above, the tip digging into the concrete. Niklas stopped running and looked up to see who had thrown that katana.

A feminine figure flipped through the air as it was tall and had a pair of wings, the crimson moon behind it. The figure fell down to the ground and ripped the katana out from the concrete and landed gracefully, the red wings exploding into a cloud of feathers that spread around Yusei and Niklas.

"Good job, Beheader", the woman told the psychopath. "Because you hurt Yusei, I could sense his pain and locate him."

Yusei smiled when he saw who it was. "Estelle…"

Indeed, it was the real Estelle, but she was in her Warrior Form without the wings.

Estelle looked over her shoulder and did her best to hold back a grimace. She saw Yusei's wounds all over his upper body and the bleeding mouth added more guilt. "Stay down, Yusei. I'll finish him and take care of your wounds."

Niklas ripped his coat off, revealing his swords were strapped onto his arms. He was dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt. "I finally found you, Estelle. You look gorgeous in your little outfit. Too bad I never got to taste you."

Estelle glared at Niklas while keeping a poker face. "Do I know you?"

Niklas chuckled as he removed his glasses, causing Estelle to gasp in surprise. "N-Niklas?"

Niklas smirked, his brown emotionless eyes shining. "Det stämmer. Trevligt att träffa dig igen. (That's right. Nice to meet you again.)"

"Vad gör du här i denna dimension? (What are you doing here in this dimension?)" Estelle asked.

"Din pojkvän kan tala om för dig…om du överlever denna fajt. (Your boyfriend can tell you…if you survive this fight.)"

"Han är inte min pojkvän. Och jag tänker inte dö än. (He's not my boyfriend. And I'm not thinking about dying yet.)"

Niklas put back the glasses on his face which alerted Yusei. "Estelle, be careful… He can read your thoughts with those glasses!" the Signer warned.

"I see", Estelle mumbled. "I guess someone important gave those to you. But even if you can read thoughts, if you can't counter the actions, there's no point."

Estelle rushed forward with her katana raised at Niklas. Niklas smirked as he started fighting with Estelle. Those two shared a sword battle, their blades making clinging sounds every time their weapons collided with each other. Estelle once had enough and made a round-house kick at Niklas who flew back, but had blocked the kick with his blades.

*_Incredible…_*, Yusei thought as he watched the scene. *_All the practice and workouts has made Estelle so strong, even though she's so thin._*

Estelle caught her breath back, feeling this battle was equal to an extreme exercise. *_With him reading my heart, we're evenly matched. Then…_* She closed her eyes and let her thoughts fade away, her mind being completely black.

Niklas was amused when he read Estelle's heart. "Oh? You've arrived at a state of nothingness. But these glasses have the Future Sight. Judging by your muscles, your next move will be-"

Estelle moved fast forward to slash Niklas from above, but the man had blocked her sword with his blades. "I see it!" Niklas said in a teasing voice.

Estelle's eyes widened before she quickly jumped back when Niklas slammed one of his blades down on the ground where she had been standing. Estelle slid back on one knee and hissed lightly in pain by a thin bleeding slash on her left thigh where a part of the blade had hit her.

Yusei started to get worried about Estelle. She had taken a hit, so he was questioning if she could really defeat Niklas.

"Good grief!" Niklas sighed dramatically. "I'm surprised to see how powerful you've become. Last time, you were just a little weakling. I, however, went to the military and had years of experience and lots of training."

"Lot of things change in short time", Estelle replied as she stood up. "My moves and thoughts are being read, so I think we're even."

"Say, Estelle…", Niklas began. "Aren't you even worried about your parents?" Estelle arched an eyebrow. "Don't you think they miss you? You know, my boss told me he would send you back to our dimension once his business with you was done-"

"I _will_ get sent back one day", Estelle interrupted him. "I miss my parents and I want to go home, but…" She closed her eyes before opening them again, having a glance of longing. "I also want to stay here in this dimension. My friends… My family here…has given me what I've been missing in our dimension."

Yusei felt his heart beat in relief when he heard Estelle wanted to stay in this dimension, but she said she wanted to go back home. *_But… Can't she come back after she returned to her dimension?_*

"Really?" Niklas asked. "If that's the case…" He activated one of the glasses' powers. "Will this convince you to join us?"

Estelle turned pale when a new human being took over Niklas's place. A short woman in early sixties stood in front of her, wearing a shirt and pants, while her half-grey and half-white shoulder-length hair flowed in the wind. Her blue eyes were looking at the younger woman with a mild face.

"Mamma… (Mom…)", Estelle mumbled out loud, her eyes showing she was being hypnotized.

Yusei noticed Estelle being in a trace. "What's wrong, Estelle? Estelle!" he called worriedly.

For Estelle, she saw her mother, but for Yusei, he saw Niklas standing several meters from the woman.

"Illusion Sight… The person she values most appeared before her. She's in her memories right now, reunited with the one most precious to her."

"So that's what that fake Estelle was…", Yusei mumbled in realization. "Estelle, you're seeing an illusion! Don't be fooled!"

"It's no use", Niklas told the worried Signer. "It only works on one at a time, but the hypnosis is strong. And no matter how experienced one may be…" He rushed towards Estelle, ready to slaughter her. In Estelle's eyes, she saw her mother run towards her with a knife in her hand. "…It is impossible for one to kill those they love most." Niklas towered above Estelle, raising his blade in the air, like Estelle's illusion mother was raising her knife. "Die, looking at the illusion of the one you love, Estelle!"

But before Niklas could kill her, Estelle slashed her katana at the illusion of her mother while in real life she had attacked Niklas who had seen her move in the last second, so he had blocked the move. He slid backwards of the impact, his eyes wide in disbelief that Estelle had even moved and most likely killed the person she had seen during the hypnosis.

*_She didn't even falter_*, Niklas thought as Estelle straightened herself and sent a glare at him that could literally murder him. "Why?! You should have seen the one you love most!"

"Because my mother…would _never_ once raise a knife at me", Estelle replied in an unusually cold voice as she kept the glare on her face. "My mother who I love would _never_ try harming me." A burning aura started surrounding her as Niklas started feeling really scared.

Yusei grunted in pain when he felt his Mark glow on his arm. He could feel the anger from Estelle, and it was an anger he had never seen coming from the woman he loved.

Niklas looked down on his blades, seeing the impact had caused his blades to gain cracks. *_No good… They're going to break._*

Estelle felt so angry at Niklas who had tried using an illusion of her mother to distract her, but the anger was under control so she could harness its power and give her strength. "You told me your mother left you in an academy when you were only a little boy." She raised her katana and ran towards Niklas. "That is why you never understood the power of love between a parent and a child!"

Niklas let out a roar of panic. "I won't die!"

Estelle and Niklas engaged in a heated sword battle where both of them swung their swords faster than the lightning. "I'll kill you first!" Niklas yelled. "I have the advantage because I can see your future motion!"

The woman ignored Niklas as she kept clashing her katana with the man's blades over and over again. She put more strength whenever she swung the katana to quickly break Niklas's blades.

Fragments of Niklas's broken blades flew in the air when Estelle finally destroyed his weapons. Niklas's glasses flew upwards after the last impact of the woman's katana, revealing his eyes that were filled with fear.

Estelle held back her katana, glaring at the man who used to be her fake ex-boyfriend. "Game over." She swung her katana and slashed Niklas's throat.

Blood flowed from the wound as Niklas coughed out blood from his mouth and fell down on his back, facing his doom.

Yusei was both amazed at Estelle's strength, but also slightly disappointed at himself for not being strong enough yet. *_I need to become stronger…so I can protect Estelle and everyone else._*

Estelle cast a cold glance at Niklas who was dying in front of her, not feeling regrets at all. "You, the man who tricked my family and betrayed us, showing psychopathic signs that you are dangerous…does not deserve to live. I'm grateful you never tried to harm me whenever we were alone in your apartment."

Niklas, using his last strength, chuckled deeply. "N-Now… I kinda wish…I could have…taken you while I…had the chance…" His eyes rolled back before his eyes closed, falling into the endless slumber of death.

Estelle grimaced at Niklas's last words before she turned her eyes on the glasses that lied next to the dead body. Without hesitation, she stomped her boot on the glasses, crushing them so they wouldn't be used by someone else again.

The woman turned around as the katana in her hand disappeared in a crimson glow as the aura slowly died down. She walked over to Yusei who struggled to sit up on his knees. Estelle got down to Yusei's level and helped him up carefully. His wounds had stopped bleeding, but they needed to get tended.

"Are you okay, Yusei?" Estelle asked.

"Somewhat…", Yusei replied, his arm resting on Estelle's shoulders as she held him by his waist.

"Let's get you home and treat those wounds", Estelle nodded.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV**

I sat on the couch in the garage, bare-chested, with all my wounds revealed. I groaned in pain as Akiza used her powers to heal my wounds.

Once Estelle and I got back, we got greeted by Crow, Jack, and Akiza who they had called over. They were all worried about me and nearly exploded into a huge fuss about my condition. Luckily, Estelle had been able to calm them down and told us she didn't really hold the power of healing other people, but Akiza had the power to do that.

So that was the reason why Akiza placed her right hand on my smaller wounds and both hands on the bigger ones and healed them. Her hands were glowing in crimson light while the wounds mended and disappeared.

Akiza let out a sigh once she finished healing me. "That's it. But I'm afraid the bigger wounds will remain as scars."

I looked down on my abdomen and saw the scar of the first wound that Niklas had put on me. It didn't look too ugly, but I wasn't comfortable with it yet. I couldn't see the scar on my back, but I suspected it looked the same.

I put on a shirt that Crow had fetched for me when I looked around to see Estelle was nowhere.

"If you're looking for Estelle, she walked out while Akiza healed you", Crow threw his thumb over his shoulder, pointing at the door.

"She looked distracted… Probably by the events", Jack said, crossing his arms.

I nodded as thanks and walked over to the door to step outside. I looked up ahead and saw Estelle sit by the fountain. She was looking down on her lap, her bangs hiding her face.

I felt worried because she had been quiet ever since we had left the crime scene with Niklas's dead body. I could sense something was bothering her.

I walked up to the fountain and sat down next to Estelle's right side. I stayed quiet, waiting to see if she was going to say the first word. But when she didn't, I decided to break the silence.

"Everything okay, Estelle?" I asked in a gentle voice.

Estelle's fists were resting on her lap before she unfolded them. "I… I don't know…"

"You were amazing back there", I told her honestly. "The way you moved and how fast too… I never saw that one coming. I tried to take down Niklas by myself, but I'm not as skilled as you yet. You were also…really brave."

"Brave…?" Estelle whispered. "I was not brave…"

Her whole body was starting to shake which caught me off guard. "E-Estelle…"

Estelle looked up with tears in her eyes, a frightened expression on her face. "I was scared! My mind went all blank and I couldn't control myself! I wanted to make sure you were safe!" The tears ran down her cheeks. "And I killed a person today! I committed a crime! I've never hurt someone until they bled! And he used an illusion of my mother who tried killing me! I…! I…!"

Estelle broke down and fell onto me, her head resting against my chest as she kept crying. This was my first time seeing Estelle break down like this. I could tell she was emotionally upset. A lot happened to her tonight; me getting hurt, facing her fake ex-boyfriend she had told me about before, seeing an illusion of her mother wanting to hurt her, and killing the psychopath. It was even a lot for me to take in.

I wrapped my arms around her, keeping her close to me as I rubbed her back to comfort her. She moved her head so her chin rested on my shoulder while she kept sobbing. I remained quiet as I allowed Estelle to pour out her emotions she kept inside all the time.

I felt the determination grow inside me as I promised to myself that night to become stronger to protect Estelle and make sure nothing bad would happen to her. I still had a long road ahead, but I was willing to go through it together with my friends.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

The dead body of Niklas remained on the square several streets away from the garage. The really pale body laid in a huge pool of blood with the fragments of the blades and glasses laying next to him.

A shadow cast over the body. The shadow belonged to a man who looked down on Niklas. "Don't worry, Niklas. You are still needed…and you will be restored."

In the blink of an eye, the two bodies disappeared from the scene, leaving behind the evidence such as the blood and the fragments of the items.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I was still a bit shaken up by yesterday evening's event, but I felt a lot better thanks to Yusei who had held me while I kept crying.

We told everything more in details for Akiza, Leo and Luna (Jack and Crow had already heard from Yusei.) about the fight and how I killed Niklas. I still couldn't believe I did it, but I had to. He had been out of control and he was guilty for killing several innocent people in New Domino City.

I was brought out of my thoughts when Akiza held out a small wrapped box to me. "Here. For you", she said.

I looked down at the present before casting a confused glance at the girl. "What's this?"

Akiza giggled, "The White Day present, of course! My thanks for the Valentine's Day chocolate."

I let her words work through my brain before I remembered today was White Day; the day when the boys (or girls) who had received chocolate on Valentine's Day returned the favor by giving the lovers a gift.

"Oh, no!" I slapped my fingers on my lips. "I totally forgot about White Day! I'm sorry! I don't have a present for you, Aki."

"It's okay, Estelle", Akiza shook her head. "I read about the traditions in your country and they said no word about a tradition that seemed similar to White Day."

I accepted the gift while sighing in relief. "In my country, both boys and girls give each other chocolate and presents, so it's like both Valentine's Day and White Day at the same time." I slowly unwrapped the present to reveal a blank photo frame.

"You said you like to be creative, so I thought you might want to decorate a photo frame and then put a photo in it", Akiza swirled a lock of her front bangs.

I smiled at the gesture and gave Akiza a hug, catching her off guard for a second. "Thank you, Akiza. I'm going to decorate it and use it for the team photo from the WRGP."

Akiza smiled and returned the hug. "I'm glad you like it."

I let go of her as I made sure to put the photo frame in my handbag. Leo and Luna were somewhere else in the house, probably in the kitchen, so Akiza decided to join them. Crow and Jack were currently out for the moment. I turned around and saw Yusei sit in front of his desk, typing on his laptop.

The strange thing was he hadn't said anything to me yet. Even when I had arrived to the garage he had been sitting right there working. I could sense he was being concerned over something, probably by yesterday's adventure.

I walked over to him and placed a hand on the back of the chair. "Yusei?"

Yusei stopped typing, but didn't turn around. "Yeah?"

I looked at him with a worried expression. "Is something wrong? You haven't looked away from the laptop since I came here."

I saw Yusei wanted to turn around in the chair, so I let go of it. Yusei turned around fully and looked up at me with worried eyes, something he rarely showed.

"Yesterday… I was really worried about you", he confessed. "Even though you looked professional out there against Niklas, I was still afraid he would…take you away from m- I mean, from all of us."

I felt my heart skip a beat when I heard Yusei wanted to first say "me", but changed it. I felt a small smile come out on my lips. I bent down a bit and hugged Yusei so his chin was resting on my shoulder. My arms were wrapped around Yusei's shoulder blades. He was only wearing his usual top without jacket, so I could feel his muscles.

"You won't lose me, Yusei", I told him. "I was more worried about losing you yesterday. I thought I would come too late when I felt your pain. I don't want to lose anyone of this family."

I felt Yusei relax in my hold and leant slightly closer to me before he wrapped his arms around my waist. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment. For some reason, I started feeling braver to express my feelings for Yusei, but still kept them at bay since I didn't want to give Yusei hope that we could end up together.

Yusei removed his chin from my shoulder to look up at me. "Estelle…" I opened my eyes to look down at him with warm eyes. "Will you help me practicing on my powers?"

I nodded, "Yeah… It's soon time for everyone to unlock their powers, so the training will start as soon as possible."

Yusei smiled lightly when his eyes shone up in realization. "I'm sorry, Estelle."

"Hm?" I arched an eyebrow.

"I never found a present for you for White Day…", Yusei looked away, slight ashamed.

I chuckled gently and planted a soft kiss on Yusei's forehead, causing him to gasp in surprise. I removed my lips from his forehead and looked down at him with my smile remaining on my lips. "Yusei… The best White Day present for me is to spend the time with all of you guys. And to see you alive after yesterday's incident…is a huge plus for me."

Yusei looked shocked for a moment before he calmed down and smiled at me while tightening his hold on me. The two of us kept looking at each other with our arms wrapped around each other.

Just then, the door slammed open and running footsteps echoed in the garage. "Guys, guys! Listen up!" Carly's voice called.

Yusei and I let go of each other and turned around to see Carly, Jack and Crow run up to us. Akiza and the twins had heard the call so they came running down on the stairs to join us.

"What's wrong?" Luna asked.

"Did someone get killed again?" Leo wondered.

"No!" Carly shook her head, her hands clenching today's newspaper. "Jack and Crow just told me about what happened and look at this!" She slammed down the newspaper on the desk right next to Yusei's laptop.

We all took a look on the newspaper to read the suspected Beheader AKA Niklas had been seen on the square far away from Fountain Plaza district and eyewitnesses said a crimson figure had been fighting with him until he got killed by that figure AKA me, but once Sector Security arrived, the body was gone.

"He's…gone?" I mumbled.

"Disappeared?! How the heck did he do that?" Crow exclaimed. "You did kill him, didn't you, Estelle?"

I grimaced when reality struck me again that I've killed a person, but I remained calm this time instead of exploding into a wreck. "Yeah… He was bleeding too much by the wound I gave him."

"And yet he disappeared like that", Akiza mumbled. "But how?"

"Could it be someone else had fetched him and left behind the evidence?" Jack spoke out loud, seeing the photo of the pool of blood and fragments of the two blades and the glasses.

"I wish I knew…", I mumbled worriedly.

Something felt really wrong here. It was like someone was trying to mix horrible action scenes, like Niklas killing people in the adventure. It was never once in the anime from what I had read back in my dimension, except those few parts when Kalin had killed a Sector Security guy and little Sherry seeing her parents' dead bodies in the Japanese version… But wait! Sherry did mention she had seen her parents' bodies when she had heard noises coming from their bedroom. In the English version, Sherry's parents got kidnapped or disappeared.

My suspicions seemed to come out true; a harsh reality that I've been wishing to avoid was coming. Blood will be shed, people will be killed, and maybe even worse.

I was still scared to go through that, but I was determined to protect my friends until the very end of the adventure. Even if that meant I had to commit the crime by killing people who threatened my friends.

It was time to face the cruel reality.


	46. The Spring Picnic

**Sorry for the wait, guys, but I've been busy with the rewriting of my TF/MGLN crossover series. Three of the books are up again, so if you want; go and take a peek. I would really appreciate it. :)**

**Laila and Sora are both appearing again! And the Duel in the middle of the chapter is based on a real Duel I had online with my sister-like figure. I hope you'll enjoy the Duel since it's a full Duel.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 46: The Spring Picnic**

I woke up really early today. Why? Because today was not only the graduation in Duel Academy, but also the day when we would have the picnic in the cherry blossom park in the middle of New Domino City.

I had been so busy lately with Martha's daycare and training that I had forgotten the three boys' sixth months' anniversary for living in the garage. So I decided to stop by the young men's garage to leave their presents before heading to the Duel Academy to see Akiza, the twins and their friends after the graduation ceremony.

I put the wrapped gifts for the boys in a big bag before I headed out and flew to New Domino City with Blizzard Dragon. Once Blizzard Dragon landed in the square of Fountain Plaza, I got off and returned my Duel Monster into his card. I used my powers to sense if the boys were home. Apparently, they were all in the garage, but currently in the kitchen.

I checked the door and noticed it was open. So I snuck inside and walked down the stairs quietly while I heard the three men talking from the floor above. I made sure to zip open the big bag without making a sound and placed the wrapped gifts on the working desk along with a note. I didn't have much time left since the graduation ceremony was going to end in ten minutes, so I walked out silently and instead of summoning a Duel Monster, I decided to walk since I knew a really good florist shop in this district that had beautiful roses.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Crow was the first boy to head down to the garage after breakfast to drive to his job when he spotted the three wrapped presents on the working desk next to Yusei's laptop. He blinked confusedly before calling his foster brothers.

"Hey, guys! I think an Easter Bunny has paid us a visit!"

The two young men walked down the stairs while Crow approached the desk to take a closer look at the presents.

"It's too early for the Easter Bunny to come hiding the eggs, Crow", Jack muttered, rubbing his head to get rid of the remaining tiredness in his brain.

Yusei said nothing as the duo stood next to Crow who read the note he had found in front of the presents.

_Hi, guys!_

_I wanted to give these gifts to you on your sixth months' anniversary for living in the garage, but I've been busy so I never got a chance._

_I'm sure you can tell by the wrapping which present is for who. I hope you'll like them._

_See you at the picnic!_

_/Estelle_

The trio was silent after Crow had read the note out loud until Yusei spoke up. "That was…unexpected."

"But really nice of her", Crow added as he reached for the present wrapped with orange wrapping paper and black ribbon. "Hey, my gift's soft."

Yusei reached for the silver wrapped gift with blue ribbon. He had a slight guess about what it could be because of the rectangular shape.

Jack grabbed the biggest gift that was wrapped in white wrapping paper and purple ribbon. "Mine's heavy. You think it's a bomb?"

Yusei and Crow threw an "Are-you-serious" glance at the blonde man. "Why would Estelle give you a bomb?" the raven-haired man questioned.

"Maybe to make him lose a bit of his attitude", Crow commented lowly as he ripped the wrapping paper off his gift to reveal an orange pillow with a black feather sewed on the middle. "Hey, a new pillow! Just what I needed!" He placed the pillow on the desk and put his head on it. "It's really soft…" In less than five seconds, the two other men heard their carrot-head friend snoring peacefully.

Yusei took his time to open his present. He could tell by the wrapping how much time Estelle had spent to make it as perfect as she could. The gesture already made his heart warm.

"A toolbox?" Jack asked when he saw Yusei's gift. "Well, not that I can really comment on it since you seriously need a new one."

Yusei smiled at the sight of the royal-blue toolbox, decorated with slight messy silver patterns which he could tell Estelle had painted on herself. The one pattern he liked the most was the shooting star on the top of the toolbox.

Jack ripped off the wrapping paper of his present and literally froze when he saw what he got. "No. Way."

"What?" Yusei asked, turning his eyes on the box Jack held in his hands.

"A coffee maker!" Jack exclaimed happily like a child on Christmas Eve. "Yes! Yes! Finally I can drink coffee every morning again!"

Crow woke up by the loud voice next to him. "What's the noise…?" He turned to Jack and felt his eyes widen when he saw the blonde man's gift. "Oh, no! Don't tell me that's what Estelle-"

"I seriously need to thank Estelle for this!" Jack had a wide grin on his face that got even bigger when he spotted three bags with roasted coffee on the top of the coffee maker inside the box. "And look!" He pulled out said bags. "She added grinded coffee bags! Damn, this woman is spoiling us!"

"Maybe a bit too much", Crow mumbled, thinking deeply about something.

Yusei was quiet while he moved his tools from his mummy-toolbox to his new one. But he couldn't help but think about what Crow just mentioned. Estelle was always giving everyone in the group so much and barely bought anything to herself.

"Crap! I'm going to be late!" Crow suddenly exclaimed and rushed to his Duel Runner.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Akiza's POV**

I still had the butterfly feeling in my stomach after the graduation ceremony. Finally I was done with the 11th grade and would begin the 12th grade after the spring break. I never thought I would attend Duel Academy again after so many years of absence, but I was able to make it through. Of course, I had been homeschooled in the Arcadia Movement, so I wouldn't fall behind with the education.

I held the diploma in my hand as I walked over to my proud parents. Leo and Luna were with their friends since their parents couldn't come to the graduation. I didn't like the way how the twins' parents acted. It was like they prioritized work 24/7 and didn't want the children. I only met them once with my friends and it was not a comfortable memory.

"Akiza, we're so proud of you", Dad said, giving me a hug.

Mom wiped off tears from her eyes with a tissue. "I never thought we would be able to see you go in Duel Academy again, my rose…"

I hugged Dad before giving Mom a hug too. "Yeah… But I'm really happy."

It was true. Ever since I broke through the walls that Sayer had built up around me, my life started feeling like a rainbow. A mix with good days and bad days, and having really close friends was a big plus too.

I spotted someone approach us from the corner of my eye. I let go of Mom and looked up to see Estelle walk over to me with a beautiful bouquet of roses and a big bag resting on her right shoulder.

"Congratulations, Aki", Estelle smiled gently.

I held myself back to not jump onto her and give her a hug. Instead I let a blush appear on my cheeks. "Thank you…"

Estelle held the bouquet to me. "Here. Consider this as my congratulations present for graduating the eleventh grade."

I took the bouquet of roses with my unoccupied hand and held it close to me. "Thank you, Estelle. That's so sweet of you." Estelle just smiled gently, like a big sister.

It was then I saw she held seven roses in her hand, each one of them having a red ribbon tied on, just like mine.

Estelle noticed how I eyed the roses before she let out a small chuckle. "These roses are for the twins and their friends."

"You're just too kind, Estelle", I commented.

Estelle shrugged lightly. "Well… Even though I save the money I earn from my part-time jobs, I rather spend them on things for others."

I was about to ask her why, but Laila interrupted us because she rushed straight to Estelle and gave her a hug around her waist.

"Estelle!" the pink-haired girl exclaimed happily. "You came to the graduation!"

Estelle smiled and patted Laila's head. "Of course I did."

Soon, the twins and their friends gathered around us, even Sly who stood one meter from us. Mom and Dad had walked away to give us some privacy, but had taken my diploma and the bouquet of roses so it would be less things for me.

"I've got something for all of you", Estelle told the children. "One rose each to you. Back in my dimension, when the sixth grade students graduated like me, we each got a rose from the second grade students."

"Thank you, Estelle!" Laila smiled, taking one of the roses.

"But… We've just graduated from the fifth grade…", Luna mumbled.

"It doesn't matter which grade you just graduated, Luna", Estelle said. "You all deserve something as a congratulations present."

"Yep!" Leo said. "Thanks, Estelle!"

"Flowers are for girls…", Sly muttered.

I grabbed his head and rubbed his hair around, hearing him protesting. "Flowers are for every gender, Sly. Don't be such a joy killer."

Sly glared at me when I let go of his head, but then he shrugged and walked over to Estelle to take the last rose from her. I smiled at him, knowing he was actually a good boy, but hid his true self behind a mask… Just what I used to do.

"So… Are we going to the picnic today?" Dexter asked.

"Yeah! I got the permission by my parents to join you guys!" Patty nodded.

"Me too!" Bob added.

"Sweet! I can't wait for it!" Leo said excitedly.

"Plus, we're going to have the Duel you promised me, Estelle", Laila pointed out.

"Of course we will", Estelle smiled. "The time was 1 PM, right?"

"Yep, which means we have around two hours and thirty minutes to prepare ourselves", I nodded.

"Okidoki", Estelle nodded, letting her Swedish tongue slip for a second.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

Martha had helped me prepare my share of the food I was going to treat the others during the two hours before I made it to Akiza so we could head together to the park with the blossoming cherry trees. We met up with the guys, Carly, and the twins and their friends by the entrance before we headed inside.

It was a majestic sight. The cherry trees had flowers in both pink and white colors, and the petals danced around in the air like raindrops. The place was totally packed, so we had a hard time finding a spot for us until we found one near a small river.

We helped each other to pull out the blankets and then packed out the food in the middle of the blankets. It was literally mouth-watering.

"All this food looks delicious!" Leo exclaimed, drooling at the sight.

"Leo, don't drool in front of the food like that!" Luna scolded him, wiping off the drool with a napkin.

"Well, let's dig in!" Crow announced.

We started sharing the food while talking and pouring drinks for each other. Laila sat on my right side while Akiza sat on my left side. Carly sat on Jack's left side while Leo sat on the other side. You could clearly see how Jack had this protective aura because of his feelings for the journalist. It was really cute.

"Oh, guess what, guys!" Carly spoke up. "I've been asked out on dates by the guys in the editorial office!"

Jack literally spat out the juice he was drinking, accidently soaking Crow who sat across him. "Hey! Watch it, Jack!" the carrot-head exclaimed.

Jack ignored Crow's protesting and turned to Carly with a serious expression. "You? Asked out on dates?"

"Yep, but I declined them all", Carly replied.

"But why?" Patty wondered. "You're really pretty."

"Because there is someone I really like, and I can't date other guys while I have feelings for someone else", Carly explained, adjusting the thin glasses I had made for her back in the WRGP party.

"Oh…", Jack let out a silent sigh before he got tense again. "And who is this guy?"

"Can't tell, Jackie~!" Carly sang, waving her point finger for teasing.

Jack held back a pouting face, but the rest of us laughed at his failed try.

"So, Akiza…", Yusei began. "Do you have any plans what you want to go in for after you graduate the twelfth grade?"

Akiza shook her head, gripping the plastic mug with orange juice in her hand. "No, not yet. I… I just don't know what I want to continue with after I graduate high school."

"I understand the feeling", I said. "In fact, many graduated students don't have a clue what they want to continue with. It's either work, or going to college or university without knowing which line they should go on."

"Did you know what you wanted to do, Estelle?" Luna asked.

"Well… My childhood dream was to become an author in the future, so I just took a few courses to get better on my grammar", I replied.

"I want to become a great Turbo Duelist when I grow up!" Leo exclaimed as he stood up into a dramatic pose. "I'm going to surpress every single Turbo Duelist and even the King of Games!"

We all stared at Leo in disbelief before the children, except Luna, started laughing and us young adults chuckling or giggling at his small mistake.

"I think you meant to say "surpass", Leo", Luna corrected her twin brother.

Leo blushed in embarrassment before he rubbed the back of his head while chuckling nervously. "Right… Sorry."

"Nah, we're still young", Sly shrugged, eating a rice ball. "Why thinking about what we want to do when we grow up?"

"Don't be so negative, Sly", Laila scolded him.

"But he's right, guys", I said, getting everyone's attention. "You children should enjoy the time you still have. Before you know it, the years will pass by and you'll become responsible adults. Therefore, remain being children while you are still young."

"She's right", Yusei agreed. "You guys have several years left to enjoy the freedom. It was, however, a different case for us in the old Satellite."

"Yeah, we had to become responsible teenagers when we left Martha's house to live on the streets", Crow added.

"It was a different lifestyle than what you guys have and other children in New Domino City", Jack nodded.

"Was it that…hard?" Bob wondered.

The three young men exchanged glances before nodding.

I decided to break the conversation. "Well, shall we not focus on the present? Like, a Duel between me and Laila?"

Laila shone up when I mentioned that. "Really? We can have the Duel now?"

"Sure, why not?" I said, standing up while picking up my Duel Disk. "Anyone want to come along?"

"Oh, me! I want!" Leo raised his hand while standing up.

"Me too", Luna nodded.

In the end, everyone, except Crow, Jack and Carly, followed me and Laila to a Dueling field where others were Dueling as well. And guess who we met on our way? Tanner and Yanagi!

"Well, well! Look at this crew!" Tanner laughed heart-fully as he and the old man approached us. "It's been a while since last time."

"It sure has, Tanner", Yusei nodded.

"It's so nice seeing you children again! I wish I could visit you, but these old legs just don't listen to me anymore", Yanagi smiled widely.

"Who are they, Estelle?" Patty asked. "They have markers too…"

"These two are good friends of ours", I assured her. "In fact, they helped us eight months ago with something."

"So, what're you guys doin'?" Tanner wondered.

"Estelle and I are going to Duel!" Laila replied, waving her left arm with her Duel Disk.

"Oooh, can we watch too? It's been a long time since I saw anyone of you Duel!" Yanagi said.

"Of course", I nodded.

"Hey… Where did Akiza go?" Luna spoke up.

We looked around. Akiza wasn't with us, but I could still sense her in the park.

"She's still around here", I told them. "Maybe she had to visit the restroom."

"Come on, let's Duel!" Laila called.

I laughed at her enthusiasm. "Okay, Laila. Hold your horses for a minute."

The other children, except Sly, giggled at Laila who was really excited for the Duel.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Akiza's POV**

My eyes didn't play tricks on me. I did spot Sora sitting all alone on a blanket far away from other people. I didn't know why, but I felt like I couldn't leave her alone. I knew she was a lone-wolf person, but she deserved to have a couple of really close friends.

Don't misunderstand me; I didn't have romantically feelings for her. I just couldn't stand seeing other girls being all alone and isolated from others like I used to be.

I walked over to Sora just as she looked up at me. She had those hollow, lonely eyes just like last time I saw her. She just blinked for a second before she looked down, continuing eating the lunch box she had on her lap.

"Sora", I called her name.

Sora blinked and looked up again. "Do you need something?"

I sighed lightly before I sat down in front of her. "I just want to talk to you."

"Talk about what?" Sora replied a bit coldly.

I carefully chose the next words. "Sora… I want to be your friend."

The blue-haired girl's eyes widened at my sentence. "Friend?" She shook her head. "Sorry, but I don't want friends."

"You mean you're planning on living alone for the rest of your life? Is that what you're truly wishing for?" I asked.

Sora glanced down, avoiding eye contact. It answered my question.

"Why? Are you afraid to approach people? Scared they will hurt and betray you?"

"Something similar…", Sora replied in a low voice.

I let out a sigh. "I know that feeling…because I used to be just like you once." Sora looked up at me with slightly widen eyes. "But thanks to a couple of stubborn people who reached out their hands willingly to me, I found my way out of the darkness and stepped into the light with loyal friends around me." The blue-haired girl remained quiet as I spoke. "You don't need lots of friends, but you can have a few and really close friends who won't turn their back on you."

Sora seemed to think about my speech, but she didn't say anything in return. She just continued eating her lunch.

I sighed before I stood up, ready to go to the others again. "Just… Think about what I just told you."

Sora made no noise, but I knew she had listened to me. I hoped she would think about her lonely situation and try breaking down the walls around her.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

Laila and I stood on each side of the Dueling field, preparing ourselves for the Duel. The others stood aside, cheering for us both.

"I'm looking forward Dueling with you, Estelle!" Laila smiled.

"So do I, Laila. Show me what you've got", I said.

"Let's Duel!"

**Estelle: 4000**

**Laila: 4000**

"You can go first, Estelle!" Laila called.

"Okay then. I draw!" I exclaimed, drawing the sixth card.

I had Dodger Dragon, Galaxy Serpent, The Dragon's Bead, Impenetrable Attack, Sakuretsu Armor and Tiger Dragon which I had just drawn.

"I summon Dodger Dragon in attack mode!" I called, placing the Monster card on the Duel Disk.

A long and thin dragon with green scales and yellow stomach appeared in front of me, growling in determination.

**Dodger Dragon, Level 4: ATK 1900**

"Oh, strong Monster, for a Level 4 one", I heard Tanner comment.

"I place three cards face-down and end my turn", I said, placing all three Trap cards in the Spell/Trap zone.

"Okay! My turn!" Laila drew her sixth card. "I summon Dunames Dark Witch in attack mode!"

A humanoid Duel Monster appeared, looking like a girl with a red and white armor and white metallic wings and purple hair, appeared in front of Laila.

**Dunames Dark Witch, Level 4: ATK 1800**

"Next I place four cards face-down and end my turn!" Laila continued with four holographic face-down cards on the Spell/Trap zone appearing behind her Duel Monster.

"This is getting so exciting!" Patty said, jumping on her feet.

"Both of them have strong Monsters and several face-downs. Anything can change", Dexter pointed out.

"We'll see about that", I told Dexter as I drew my next card which was Dragonic Knight. "I tribute Dodger Dragon to Tribute summon Tiger Dragon!"

Dodger Dragon turned into a colorful sphere before it formed into Tiger Dragon.

**Tiger Dragon, Level 6: ATK 2400**

"And I activate Tiger Dragon's special ability!" I continued. "You see, if I use a dragon-type Monster to Tribute summon Tiger Dragon, I can destroy up to two face-down cards on my opponent's Spell/Trap card zone." I saw Laila cold sweating. "And I choose those two." I pointed at two cards.

Tiger Dragon released a gust of wind and flipped up the two cards, revealing Spell Absorption and Mystical Space Typhoon that were two Spell cards. In the next second, the two cards were destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.

"She placed Spell Absorption as a face-down when it can be used directly from her hand?" I heard Yusei mumble.

"It's actually a bad habit of Laila's", Luna explained. "She often thinks the Spell cards are like the Trap cards, and rather use them as face-downs like now."

I looked at Laila, seeing she was a bit concerned about the mistake, but she was at least aware of it. I decided to talk about the matter after the Duel.

"Tiger Dragon, attack Dunames Dark Witch!" I commanded.

Tiger Dragon flew towards Dunames Dark Witch and slashed her with his talons, destroying her into pieces. Laila shielded her face against the holographic particles as her Life Points dropped.

**Estelle: 4000**

**Laila: 4000 – 3400**

"It's your turn, Laila. And take your time", I told her.

"Y-Yes…", Laila nodded, drawing a card. "I summon Hanewata in attack mode and end my turn."

The same Duel Monster that Patty had appeared in front of the pink-haired girl.

**Hanewata, Level 1: ATK 200**

"All right", I nodded, drawing Lightning Vortex from my Deck. "Tiger Dragon, attack Hanewata!"

Tiger Dragon did the same attack as with Dunames Dark Witch and destroyed the little monster.

**Estelle: 4000**

**Laila: 3400 – 1200**

"You can do it, Laila!" Leo cheered for her.

"Don't give up yet!" Bob added.

Sly snorted, "She already lost, you know."

Akiza just appeared behind him and rubbed his head, messing with his hair. "Sly, don't say that. Things can still change."

Laila nodded with determined eyes and drew a card from her Deck. "I summon Vanadis of the Nordic Ascendant in attack mode!"

A female humanoid Monster appeared, dressed in a nice outfit that reminded me of a Nordic vessel, holding a scythe and having white wings on her face. She had red eyes and dark gray hair tied up in a long ponytail.

**Vanadis of the Nordic Ascendant, Level 4: ATK 1200**

"I place one card face-down and end my turn", Laila said, placing a card among the two other face-downs she had on the field.

I realized I could actually win this Duel now, but Laila could make a comeback with one of her face-downs. I drew a card which was Genesis Dragon. "I summon Galaxy Serpent in defense mode!"

Galaxy Serpent appeared next to Tiger Dragon and then lowered to the ground, folding her wings around her body.

**Galaxy Serpent, Level 2: DEF 0**

"Tiger Dragon, attack Vanadis of the Nordic Ascendant!" I yelled.

Tiger Dragon approached the Tuner Monster, raising his paw to finish her.

"This is it", Yanagi said. "The end of the Duel."

"Not so fast!" Laila smirked. "I activate my face-down Tuner's Barrier!" Said Trap card was flipped up. "This card allows me to protect my Tuner Monster from being destroyed in battle or by special effects!"

"But, Laila, you'll still take damage!" Dexter shouted.

"What?!" Laila exclaimed in shock.

Tiger Dragon hit the barrier that surrounded Vanadis with his talons, emitting sparks that spread around us. The sparks did hit Laila which caused her Life Points to drop to zero.

**Estelle: 4000**

**Laila: 1200 – 0**

The Duel was over. I had won without taking any damage. I could see how Laila looked a bit disappointed, but she regained her smile quickly.

"It was a good Duel", Laila said. "Thank you, Estelle."

I smiled lightly as I walked over to her, both our Duel Disks now deactivated. "You're welcome, Laila. But I have some pointers for you."

"I know…", Laila nodded, looking down. "It's about the Spell cards, right?"

"Yeah", I nodded. "I was actually the same when I was introduced to Duel Monsters back where I come from. I was confused about the Spell cards and what I should do with them, but slowly I learned how to play them and became better with my Dueling. You always learn from your mistakes. That's why it's not always good to just win."

"She barely learns from her mistakes…", I heard Sly mutter in the background until he yelped after getting a hit on his head by someone.

"Behave, Sly! You also need to learn from your own mistakes", Akiza commented.

We all laughed at the duo, happy to enjoy the day with Duels, friends and laughter.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Laila Noble belongs to **_**Springflowerangel**_**.**

**Sora Sakamoto belongs to **_**Akane Raikou**_**.**


	47. Talking about Crushes

**I actually planned to have another made-up episode, but I skipped it.**

**The next few chapters are going to be quite heavy and different from the original dubbed episode.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 47: Talking about Crushes**

Today was the last day of the spring break. Akiza, Leo and Luna would start going to the Duel Academy and attend the 12th grade respective 6th grade. So, before that, Akiza had asked Yusei to have a practice Turbo Duel since she still wasn't so experienced with it.

Leo, Luna and I sat on a stand where random people came and went while watching the Turbo Duel from a monitor. The course went next to the stand so they drove past us every once in a while.

"Akiza's really starting to get the hang of these Turbo Duels", Luna commented.

Leo nodded in agreement. "Uh-huh!"

I chuckled lightly. "It makes me jealous for not being able to Turbo Duel."

"I know that feeling", Leo said. "I can't wait 'til Yusei teaches me how to ride."

"Yeah, when they invent Duel training wheels!" Luna teased before laughing. "You're just a kid!"

"I am not! I'm a good two minutes older than you, remember?!" Leo retorted embarrassingly.

Since I sat behind the twins, I could easily rub Leo's head to comfort him. "One day, when you get taller and older, you'll be able to ride a Duel Runner. Just be patient."

"Patient is something Leo never has and never will have!" Luna kept laughing.

"Just shut up, Luna! I'll definitely Turbo Duel no matter what it takes!" Leo growled.

"Sure, sure, we'll see about that", Luna retorted, calming down.

Soon the practice Turbo Duel was over with a shiny victory for Yusei. I had prepared drinks for them before I left Martha's house; not too cold water with a few drops of lemon.

Akiza sat down next to me and took a sip of the drink, sighing in relief. "Ah! That hits the spot!"

"You were really cool out there, Akiza!" Luna said. "Even though you lost, you seemed to learn a lot!"

"I did", Akiza nodded, turning to Yusei. "Yusei is a good teacher."

Yusei rubbed the back of his head, looking a bit embarrassed. "It's no big deal…"

"You don't have to be so modest, Fudo-sensei", I said with a slight teasing voice.

The others laughed at my comment while Yusei blushed by the nickname. He looked away, acting really embarrassed.

"That was worth gold! I gotta write that one down!" Leo laughed.

I chuckled at the moment when I suddenly felt a shiver run down my spine. I looked up at the sky, sensing something was coming. From what I could remember, it was time for Lester's stone tablet to appear.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

In a place, which no one knew about, the Three Pure Nobles had gathered by the Grand Design, each sitting on their own thrones. They had just watched the Turbo Duel between Akiza and Yusei, and one of them was disappointed of the outcome.

"What gives? Since it was two Signers that just Dueled it out, I thought for sure that the Circuit would activate", Lester complained, looking down at the incomplete Grand Design.

"Patience, Lester", Jakob told him as he took a quick look on a holographic screen of Akiza. "For what we are planning, great power is required, and great power will be produced. If not now, then certainly at the World Racing Grand Prix. Then, all the Circuits will be activated and our Grand Design will, at long last, be realized, and this world will never be the same!"

"Don't be simplest, Jakob", Primo warned him. "Have you forgotten all about the Crimson Dragon and the Crimson Star Priestess? They're the reason Goodwin failed! And as long as the dragon exits and has its Priestess to communicate with, it has the potential to deal with our schemes too! We would be fools for simply ignoring such a grave and powerful threat as this, even though the Meklords have an immunity against the Priestess's powers!"

"So what are you saying, Primo?" Lester asked.

"I'm saying we take action", Primo replied, pointing at the holographic screen that showed Yusei. "Since it's Yusei Fudo who wields the power of the Stardust Dragon, it's through Yusei we'll neutralize the Crimson Dragon. Or better yet, make this all mighty beast our own!"

"And how do you plan on doing that, Primo? By beating Yusei in a Duel?" Lester teased, referring to the last Turbo Duel when the Ghost had used Primo's Meklord Emperor against Yusei and lost, before laughing.

"Exactly", Primo replied. "And, at the same time, use him to lure out the Crimson Star Priestess since we all know they hold romantic feelings for each other. She is one of his very few weaknesses from what we have observed."

"But don't forget the damage she did on your Meklord Emperor last time, Primo", Jakob reminded him. "Even though the Meklords are supposed to have the immunity against the Priestess's powers, she was still able to do some serious damage. It could be a sign that she's either getting stronger or she's borrowing some strength from the Signers around her."

Primo grunted lightly through his teeth. He certainly did remember last time he had sent his Meklord Emperor against Estelle during the WRGP party and how the Priestess had been able to do massive damage at the Meklord.

Just then, an alarm went off in the mysterious room the Three Pure Nobles were in. Lester exclaimed when he recognized the signal.

"It's here!"

That was correct. Lester's stone tablet with his own Meklord Emperor had just entered the Earth's atmosphere, heading to the outskirts of New Domino City.

"My stone tablet! You know what this means?" Lester asked his two companions. "Primo doesn't get to have all the fun by himself!"

Primo and Jakob didn't comment, but they knew they had to let Lester have his own fun or he would end up in berserk mode.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

A very loud alarm erupted from the city. The people around us looked towards the city, wondering what the alarm was about. They turned on their phones to read the latest news and some even panicked.

My group remained calm, but cautious about the tremors we felt after we had heard a distant explosion noise. I managed to turn around in time to see a bright light die out by the mountains close to New Domino City.

*_The stone tablet…_*, I thought worriedly.

"What was that tremor just now?" Luna asked a bit scared.

"Did we just have an earthquake?" Leo wondered.

"If that's so, we should have heard about it in the media this morning", Akiza pointed out.

You see, the technology in this dimension was so highly advanced that the seismologists could predict earthquakes with the help of EMP pulses.

Yusei remained quiet, but he looked concerned and suspicious about the tremor.

Leo turned to me. "What do you think it was, Estelle?"

I remained quiet before I spoke up. "The next event…"

Leo shrugged, not really getting it. "Oh… Okay."

A couple of minutes later, Yusei got a call from Crow who wondered where we were. So the raven-haired man told the carrot-head our location so we could meet up.

And Crow did bring us some news.

"What? A giant meteor?" Yusei asked to be sure he heard it right.

"Uh-huh!" Crow nodded. "Everyone's talking about it."

"But didn't a meteor hit a couple of weeks ago?" Leo asked.

"It sure did, Leo, and that's right around the time the Ghost started to make his appearances", Yusei replied.

"Yeah", Crow nodded.

"So this is bad?" Akiza wondered.

"Very", Yusei nodded. "Which means we can't take any chances."

"I agree", Crow said. "Then let's head over there!"

We all nodded in agreement before we prepared to go to the Ground Zero. I was about to summon one of my Duel Monsters when Akiza interrupted me. "Estelle, why don't you ride with me for a change?"

I blinked confusedly, turning to her. "Pardon?"

Akiza had a sweet smile on her face as she held up a helmet that looked completely different from her usual. "I got a helmet for you to use, even with your glasses on. It should fit you perfectly."

I took a closer look at the helmet. It was crimson red with a few tints of wine-red and black, mixing in together in harmony. It reminded me of Crimson Dragon for a second.

I put on the helmet, making sure to brush my hair behind my ears before that, and put down the windshield in front of my eyes. It was just what Akiza told me. The helmet fit for my spectacles face.

"It fits", I said with a thin voice of surprise. "Thank you, Aki."

Akiza smiled, "It was nothing. Now, come on! Let's hit the road!"

I followed Akiza to her Duel Runner where the others had gathered. Leo was sitting on Yusei's lap while Luna sat behind Crow looking a bit nervous.

Akiza mouthed her Duel Runner before I followed suit and sat behind her. I made sure to wrap my arms firmly around her waist before we took off.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Laila's POV**

School began, but I was excited to be in the sixth grade now. I was in the same class with all my friends. Everyone in class was literally talking about the meteor that had hit the outskirts of the city. Leo sat on my left side and Luna sat on my right side, so we were sharing one desk together. Yay for me!

"Leo and I went to the Ground Zero with Estelle, Yusei, Akiza and Crow, but we never got to see the meteor since Sector Security had sealed off the area", Luna told me.

"Crow really got disappointed, but both Yusei and Estelle had a bad feeling about the meteor", Leo added.

"Something bad? Like the last time with the rumored Ghost?" I asked.

"Something like that", Leo shrugged.

Ms. Bartlet stepped inside the classroom which made everyone shut up. We all stood up and bowed in greeting before sitting down in our seats.

"Good morning, everyone!" Ms. Bartlet greeted.

"Good morning, Ms. Bartlet!" the whole class sang.

"I'm so proud to see all of you in the sixth grade and coming so far with your Dueling skills", Ms. Bartlet smiled. "Today, we'll have a new classmate that I'm going to introduce you to." She turned to the closed door. "Please, come on in."

The door slid open and a boy with long brown braided hair and green stepped inside, dressed in the boy school uniform. At first, I thought he was a girl because of the braid he had. It was kinda ridiculous.

"Now, he just transferred from out of town, so let's make him feel very welcomed", Ms. Bartlet smiled as the boy stood next to her. "Meet Lester!"

"Hi, everyone!" Lester bowed lightly. "Nice to meet you!"

Every girl in the class started talking about how cute he was and nice too, except me. Lester didn't look as cute as Leo in my point of view.

Lester suddenly turned to the twins and my desk and made eye contact with Luna. He smiled gently at her. "Hi."

I saw a blush appear on Luna's cheeks before she looked down modestly. Leo didn't look so impressed about the transfer student. I didn't really like the looks Lester gave to Luna. Something about him felt a bit off.

When Ms. Bartlet added that Lester had won the Duel Prep Junior Grand Prix competition, it made the talking even louder in the classroom. Now, even the boys were impressed by Lester too by hearing about his skills, except Leo.

"Wow, he sure seems nice, don't you think, Leo, Laila?" Luna asked, the blush still on her cheeks.

"Uh… I guess?" Leo said, unimpressed as he rested his face on the palm of his hand.

"I don't know", I replied. "I need to know more about him before I can judge him."

It was something Estelle had taught me. I needed to know more about new people before I could jump into conclusions. She was a really good teacher in Dueling, real life things and more.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I've been observing Lester the whole time. He had defeated Leo in the Duel P.E and even observed how Luna had Dueled with Bob. I also noticed Lester looked so disappointed after Luna lost the Duel. It was like he had been waiting for something that only Luna could do.

Luna and I were right now heading to our classroom after a quick visit in the restroom during lunch. We were going to eat lunch with Leo and our friends, even Sly who had started associating with us. I had a slight feeling he had something for Luna.

"Luna!" a voice called behind us.

Luna and I stopped walking and turned around to see Lester walk up to us. He still had a slight disappointed face for an unknown reason.

"Hey, Lester!" Luna greeted, the blush coming back on her cheeks.

"What happened? Why did you lose that Duel?" Lester asked directly, referring to the Duel during Duel P.E.

Luna's blush disappeared when she heard the slight harsh tone from Lester who kept going. "It seemed like you weren't really trying your hardest! Almost like you _let_ that other kid win!" Luna flinched by the scolding, blinking nervously. "I know you can do better than that!"

"No! That was my very best!" Luna protested, waving her hands in defense. "Guess I just have a lot to learn!"

"Oh, come on!" Lester sighed.

I really didn't like the looks he gave her, so I decided to jump in. "Sorry, Lester, but we need to go." I grabbed Luna's arm and dragged her away from the transfer student.

"S-See you later, Lester!" Luna waved her free hand to the boy, her voice still sounding like she was smiling.

As soon as we turned in a corner, I let go of Luna who glared lightly at me. "Why did you do that, Laila?" she asked.

"Do what?" I blinked confusedly. "Dragging you away like that?"

"Yeah!" Luna nodded.

"You looked like you couldn't find your words around Lester, so I didn't want things to be harder for you", I replied. "Besides, he's not really a dream-boy."

"What?!" Luna exclaimed in shock. "How can you say that?! He's a great Duelist and he's just like a prince!"

I arched an eyebrow. "Even with that thick braid?"

"That braid gives Lester the beautiful aura of royalty…", Luna said before she started acting like a girl in love. I could swear I saw a pink aura around her with hearts and cute Duel Monsters surrounding her.

I kinda knew how she was feeling, but I was sure the crush on Lester wasn't going to last for long. Compared to my crush on Leo, it was solid and I liked him for all his cute sides. Heck, even when he lose Duels and pouts afterwards.

It made me wondering about Estelle. Did she ever have a crush on a boy when she was my age?

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

Yusei had asked me to come over and help him with the engine prototype again. He said he had a feeling the engine was soon going to be done and ready for testing.

I actually started to believe he wanted me to come over because of my company and not really for help. I wasn't a mechanic like him, but I learned a lot while I observed him. We would sometimes come up with different topics to talk about, but we would often be quiet and just work. It didn't feel bad with the silence. It felt really good since we enjoyed each other's company.

I was smiling inside whenever I saw Yusei pick up a tool from the toolbox I had given to him as anniversary present for living in the garage. It made me happy to see he was using it.

Today, we had the twins and Laila coming over after school. Apparently, there was a transfer student named Lester, who I knew at once it was the Three Pure Nobles Lester, and Luna was talking about him like he was a prince.

"Oh… He's amazing, Yusei, Estelle!" Luna kept talking excitedly. "You should have seen the way he plays Trap cards! The way he summons out Monsters… He's got all the makings of a great Duelist! Oh, yeah, and he's super cute as well!"

I chuckled deeply. The way she acted reminded me of the old time when I was gushing around my first crush.

"That's great, Luna", Yusei had a small laugh in his voice. "Sounds like you really like this Lester."

"Everyone likes him!" Luna said before turning to Leo who was laying on the stairs, and Laila. "Right, Leo? Laila?

"Nah, there's something fishy about him if you ask me", Leo retorted, causing Yusei to look at him in slight concern.

"He might look all good and so, but…", Laila hesitated. "I really don't know yet."

Leo stood up, placing his schoolbag on his back. "Well, I'm going home. See you later!"

We watched him walk up the stairs and walk out the door before closing it behind him. He looked really gloomy.

"What's going on with Leo?" Yusei asked.

"Oh, he's just upset because he lost against Lester in a Duel today", Luna replied.

I saw how Laila looked at the door with a concerned face. She looked really worried about Leo. It made me smile gently. Laila really liked Leo, and surely with good reasons and not in the way how Luna acted with Lester.

Laila snapped out of it before turning her attention at me. "Estelle! Did you ever have a crush at school?"

I blinked lightly, not seeing that question coming. But that question also left some kind of tension in the air. Both Yusei and Luna looked curious about my reply.

I scratched the back of my head lightly before replying. "Yes… I had a crush at school."

Laila looked excited about it. "Can you tell me more about it?"

I cast a glance at Yusei and Luna. Luna looked just as curious as Laila, but Yusei… He did try to have a poker face, but I could see his mouth twitching lightly. Why was he upset about me having a crush in the past?

I turned my attention back at the girls. "Well… I was in the first grade when I met my crush who was one year older than me. You see, my class had two grades at once, so we were the first and second grade and moving on year after year. The boy's name was Alexander and looked quite feminine which made me grow an obvious crush on him. Back then, I was quite outgoing and lively compared to my present self, so I wasn't shy when I gave him a present which was a plastic heart of a toy I had. He was always nice and never said I was bothering him, so I kept trying to get his attention." My eyes dropped to the floor when I felt the familiar stab-feeling in my chest. "But… One day, he ended up in the group of bullies that kept harassing me every day whenever they spotted one of my several weak points. Alexander never bullied me or hurt me verbally, but he was still in the background. Now when I think about it, I'm sure he wanted to join a group in the class so he wouldn't look like an outcast like me."

Laila and Luna's smiles dropped in shock. "Your crush, who was nice and all, ended up with the bullies?!" Laila exclaimed.

"That's awful!" Luna said, glaring at the thoughts of my crush betraying me.

"Like I said; children at your age has the feeling to belong somewhere", I explained. "Even when we're adults, we have the need to feel like we belong in a group that won't betray one." I let out a small sigh. "Sadly, most groups don't stand close and end up freezing out someone sooner or later, if there are not strong connections between the members."

"I…guess that's true…", Laila said, thinking. "I've seen a couple of groups at school that used to have fights and didn't agree on things."

"Do you…sometimes think about Alexander, Estelle?" Luna asked.

I nodded, "Sometimes, yes. I keep asking myself what Alexander does for a living. How does he even look like now as an adult?" A random thought appeared in my mind and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Laila asked.

I collected myself before answering. "I just thought that Alexander…maybe ended up being gay in the end." The girls blinked confusedly. "He did have a couple of signs that showed feminine sides of him when he was a young boy. I never really thought of him looking…handsome or something because he didn't have those traits."

"Handsome?" Luna questioned. "But… Aren't boys starting looking handsome when they hit the puberty?" Her eyes turned to Yusei, expecting him to answer the question.

Yusei blinked in surprise by the question, but answered it. "Yeah… That's when the hormones in our bodies change and we want to look more masculine in order to attract…" He made a short halt. "…girls."

"Like in the world of animals when males want to attract potential mates in order to produce strong offspring", I said.

"This starts sounding like a biology class", Laila pointed out.

"Because this is about biology", I replied.

Laila and Luna soon left so Yusei and I could return to work. Yusei remained quiet for a while as I helped him adjusting cables, giving him the tools and so on. He had the thinking expression when he was in really deep thoughts, so I didn't want to interrupt him. But he spoke up suddenly after five minutes silence.

"Did you have another crush after that boy?"

I looked at him in surprise. I did not expect such question coming from Yusei.

I blushed when I thought about my several crushes on cartoon character. "Well… If you count cartoon characters."

Yusei looked up from his work, looking really surprised. "Cartoon characters?"

I nodded, "After the "betrayal", I was afraid to get hurt again, so I ended up having crushes on several cartoon characters. Maybe because I could imagine them liking me and never hating me in my dreams and it made me feel safe. Now when I think about it, I often fell in love with the protagonists and leaders because they had the traits I wanted in a boy."

"What were those traits?" Yusei asked.

Now I was really wondering why Yusei was so persistent to know more about my so-called crushes. "Well… Kindness, compassion, loyalty, selfless, some clumsiness, humor…and the looks. But as I grew older, I started looking for the mature boys. There was a point in my life when I had my second real crush in a camp, but he ended up being completely different and a bit crazy."

"You mean-"

"Not Niklas, if that's who you think! I never had any feelings for him! I'm talking about a different boy who is around my age and became crazy obsessed with history."

"Crazy obsessed? You mean he had Asperger syndrome too?"

"Yes. At first, he was okay, but after seeing him again a couple of years later, he had changed and got completely absorbed into history that he could never talk about anything else. That's how people with autism or Asperger can end up if they enter their own world. Once they go in there, it could be game over for them…unless someone helps them out of there to face the reality like I did. But after a certain age, you can't really change people. That's why children with neurological disorders need to get help as soon as possible. Sadly, most parents ignore their duty to help their child because it's such a waste of precious time. I've heard that from other children who seriously needed help and their parents ignored them."

Yusei looked shocked to hear about that before a slight furious expression appeared on his face. "That's…irresponsible! How can a parent ignore their child when they need help in order to grow up mentally?"

I let out a sigh, shrugging lightly. "I think most parents believe it's the school's responsibility to teach the children how to mature and grow up. It's really sad thinking about how parents can ignore their child with autism." I looked up at the ceiling with a solemn expression. "That's why, if I end up becoming a mother in the future and my child ends up having autism, I will do everything I can to help it grow up and break through the barriers in order to grow up into a wonderful adult."

Yusei's expression changed back to his usual and even smiled lightly. "I'm sure you'll be a great mother."

I blushed lightly and smiled at Yusei. "That's _if_ I end up finding a partner…"

"And you will", Yusei nodded before turning his attention on the Duel Runner in which the engine prototype was inside of it.

I did notice the tone in Yusei's voice sounded a bit strained. I decided to ignore it, but a new thought appeared in my mind. Did Yusei ever have a crush on someone? I mean, I was sure lots of boys did have a crush or two in their early childhood.

"Yusei?" I asked.

"Mm?" Yusei replied, not looking up.

"Did you…ever have a crush?"

Yusei stopped tinkering with the Duel Runner. He was quiet for a moment before he replied. "Yes."

The curiosity grew inside me as I remembered from my dimension how Yusei didn't have a crush on someone in the anime.

"What kind of person was she?" I asked.

Yusei looked up at the ceiling, probably reminiscing. "Rika was a very nice girl. She was five years older than me and lived in Martha's house."

"So Rika was an orphan?" I concluded.

Yusei nodded, "Yeah. I started liking her when I was like four years old. She always looked after me, Jack, and Crow when he moved in. She was kind to everyone and often helped Martha in the kitchen. When Rika turned thirteen, she was ready to leave Martha's place, so I confessed to her. I was eight years old, and a part of me hoped she would like me in return. Rika smiled and said she liked me too, but as a little brother. I did get a bit disappointed, but happy to hear she didn't dislike me."

"Did you ever see her again?"

"Rika ended up visiting a couple of times, but after two years she stopped coming. I still don't know where she is or if something happened to her. I…just hope she's somewhere safe and happy…"

The way Yusei talked about Rika sounded so sincerely and deep with emotions. He really did like her back then, and maybe even now, but he didn't sound like he still had a crush on her. After all, he just mentioned he hoped she was being happy. Maybe she did have a boyfriend and living with him, or preparing a future together… Who knew about the possibilities?

I walked over to Yusei and knelt down next to him to place a hand on top of his left hand. He looked at me with deep and slight upset eyes, probably by the memories, while I smiled gently at him.

"I'm sure Rika is healthy and fine", I told him. "Who knows, maybe you'll end up seeing her again…" An interesting thought appeared in my head which made me hold back a small laugh. "…And maybe you'll end up being an uncle by then."

Yusei nearly chocked at the last sentence. "U-Uncle?"

"Why not? After all, you were both raised as siblings by bonds, right?" I asked.

"Well…", Yusei hesitated before nodding. "I see your point."

I smiled lightly again before removing my hand from his hand to pat his shoulder. "Lots of things will change in the future. And some of them can even appear now in any minute. Life is full of surprises."

Yusei nodded with gentle eyes. "The world would've been dull without surprises."

"So true", I nodded.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**The boy Alexander was really my first crush at school. And he had the same name as in the story. And it's true now when I think about it, he did have some feminine traits that remind me of a gay person. It's also true he ended up with the bullies, but more like a side-kick or cheerleader.**

**Before you tell me bad words, I respect the homo-, bi- and transsexuals. It has become a part of our lives now since it's been official a couple of years back. We can't change how or what we really feel like. We have to honest with ourselves and our true sexuality.**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Laila Noble belongs to **_**Springflowerangel**_**.**


	48. Leo's Reward and Born Powers

**The real action starts around in the middle of the chapter, and I can guarantee you; you'll need to hold onto your chairs because things will get hot. ;)**

**WARNING! Long chapter!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 48: Leo's Reward and Born Powers**

Laila kept sending a text message to me every day after school about the situation between the twins and Lester. Lester sounded very stubborn to get close to Luna, but both Leo and Laila were protective of her which was good. After all, Lester was one of the evil Three Pure Nobles. Who knew what kind of different ideas he had planned since the adventure in this dimension had been changed compared to the anime I read about in my world.

That made me really worried about the future events. How brutal would they end up? What would change and what would not? Lots of questions were hanging in the air with tension. It was also soon time for me to teach the Signers to use their powers. I had a feeling Leo would soon get his Mark. Crimson Dragon did say Leo would get his Mark way sooner than in the Japanese version of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's anime.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Laila's POV**

It had been a week since Lester joined our class and he was quite persistent to get to know Luna. In fact, he didn't really care about anyone else in class. It made most of the girls really jealous about Luna since she got most attention from Lester.

I met the twins on the way to school, so we walked together. We greeted some of our schoolmates until a way too familiar voice called Luna's name. Both Leo and I frowned when we saw Lester waving his hand to her.

"Good morning!" Lester greeted.

"Lester…", Luna blushed lightly.

"Hey, I was wondering…", Lester began once we stood in front of him. "What're you up to after school?"

"Uh… Today?" Luna asked.

"That's right", Lester nodded.

"She has a project going on with me", I quickly said.

Luna looked at me confusedly. "Ehh… Do we even have a project, Laila?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to hang out", Lester smiled at Luna once she turned her attention at him.

"Can't you take a hint? Shoo!" Leo waved his hand to "brush" away the problem in front of us.

"You can even come to my house", Lester continued luring Luna. "There's something there I'd like to show you."

"Really?" Luna tilted her head lightly.

"Yeah", Lester nodded. "You'll see when you get there."

"Look, I said no and that's that! So go brush your hair or something!" Leo retorted, really annoyed by the long-haired boy.

"Yeah! And Luna and I are really busy with our project!" I added, even though that wasn't true.

Lester glared at both me and Leo. "Actually, I wasn't talking to you two. I was talking to Luna, so butt out!"

I arched an eyebrow at the language. "That wasn't very prince-like of you."

"Oh, sure, I'll butt out, alright!" Leo glared back. "But I'm butting out with bolts and butts!" He grabbed Luna's hand and dragged her to the school building. "Let's go, Luna!" I followed the twins without casting a glance back at Lester.

Luna yelped a bit by the tugging. "You're hurting my arm!" She turned to Lester with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Lester! My brother's a little protective."

Once we made it to the corridor where our classroom was, Leo released his hold on Luna who looked very confused. "What's your problem, you two? So you lost against Lester in a Duel, Leo, get over it! It's not that big of a deal!" she said.

"Look, there is just something off about that guy!" Leo said and walked ahead to the classroom while Luna sighed in defeat.

I remained by her side, but said my own part. "And after hearing the story of Estelle's first crush… I can't help but being more cautious around him. He's giving me bad vibs."

Luna sighed, "He's not that bad of a guy, I'm sure of it."

I shrugged, "Whatever."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Leo and I were running like the wind. Why? Because, apparently, Ms. Bartlet had asked us both to stay after school to help her with something, but it turned out she had never asked us for help. I asked her to see if she even remembered asking us, but she said she never saw us during lunch break.

That meant Luna had to go home alone after school, but since Leo and I had a bad feeling about her being alone, we asked our friends if they had seen her. And Bob, who still had Lester's autograph on his face, said he saw Luna with Lester in a limo driving to Lester's home.

So, right now, Leo and I were running to the address we got by the school catalogue and found out Lester lived in an enormous mansion with a huge garden. I was very surprised to see Lester lived in such a fancy place. It just didn't feel right to me.

"Okay, I'm going in and save Luna!" Leo said, ready to climb up the gate.

I held him back by grabbing his arm. "Wait, Leo!" He looked over his shoulder with a questioning expression. "What if you get caught?"

"Then I'll deal with it", Leo replied. "I really don't trust Lester. He's just… He gives me a really bad feeling whenever he's around us."

"I feel so too…", I nodded, feeling a bit worried.

Leo must have sensed it because he turned around to face me and placed a hand on my shoulder. The contact made me blush a bit, but I held myself back.

"I don't want you to end up in trouble for me and my sister's sake, Laila, so you should go", Leo told me.

"What?!" I gasped in disbelief. "I can't do that!"

"Look, just go to the garage and wait for me there", Leo said. "But don't say anything about what's going on to Yusei or anyone else."

"But…", I hesitated.

Leo turned around and started climbing up the gate. I just watched him climb up and then down on the other side before he landed on his feet. He turned to me with a cocky grin. "See? I'll be fine, Laila. See ya!"

I watched him run to the bushes and trees and it was then I turned around and walked away. I still looked over my shoulder to see if Leo ended up in trouble. I couldn't help but be worried about him, and for Luna too.

When he said I should go to the garage, it was obviously Yusei, Jack and Crow's place. Maybe Estelle was there too, so I could talk to her.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I was at the garage again, but this time was not for helping Yusei. It had been quite a slow day by Martha's place, so I had called Yusei and asked if I could come over for a bit. He said I was more than welcome to hang out at the garage with no reason at all.

Jack was there too, but the reason was he got fired once again by the job he had. Apparently, his last job had been in the newspaper office where Carly worked, but he messed up with the copier so badly it ended up chaotic. Even though Carly had begged the boss to give Jack a second chance, he still ended up getting fired.

"How the hell was I supposed to know which button to push or not for just one copy?" Jack complained, holding a cup of coffee in his hand.

Both he and I sat on the couch on the platform above the garage while Yusei was working on the engine prototype below. I had pulled off my jacket that rested on the arm of the couch.

"Maybe if you asked Carly for instructions and listened carefully, you wouldn't end up making the copier go haywire", I retorted gently.

Jack hissed with his tongue. "Working in a newspaper office is not my job." He took a sip of the coffee with cream on top.

"Well… What about a normal office and administration?" I asked.

Jack glanced aside after he licked off the cream on his lips, thinking over my suggestion. "That might work." He took another sip of the coffee. "Man, it sure feels great to drink coffee again. Did you really grind the coffee beans all by yourself?"

"Well, I got help by Martha, but otherwise… Yeah, I did most of it", I nodded.

"You seriously need to make more of this stuff", Jack told me with a twinkle in his eyes. "It's delicious! Especially the one that tastes like the Blue-Eyes Mountain."

"You need to be careful, Estelle!" Yusei warned me from below. "He's getting addicted by that coffee!"

"Hey!" Jack retorted, standing up from the couch before walking over to the railing to glare at Yusei. "Coffee is the best drink in the world! You need to try it once, mate!"

"I'm not a coffee guy, Jack", Yusei retorted.

Jack snorted, "Right, 'cause you're a tea guy."

I chuckled lightly. "There's nothing wrong being a tea person. I'm one of them."

Jack turned to me with a slight frown. "Yeah, 'cause girls like tea more than coffee."

I was about to retort when we heard the doors open. I stood up and walked over to Jack who had turned around to see how the intruder was. I saw the familiar face and long pink hair.

"Laila?" Yusei said, looking up from his work.

"Hi…", Laila greeted. Her cheerful expression was replaced with a worried one.

I had a bad feeling about her behavior so I grabbed my jacket and pulled it on me as I walked down the stairs to get to Laila. She looked at me with eyes that told me she was worried about something sensitive.

"Let's talk outside, Laila", I told her as I touched her back with my hand, leading her outdoors.

Laila nodded slowly, gripping the straps of her schoolbag harder. I shut the doors behind us, leaving Yusei and Jack in the garage. I guided Laila to the fountain on the plaza and sat down behind it with her. Laila pulled off her schoolbag and rested it on her lap.

"Is everything okay, Laila?" I asked her. "Is it about the twins and Lester?"

Laila nodded, "Yeah…"

"What happened today?" I continued asking.

Laila took a deep breath before exhaling. "Ms. Bartlet asked me and Leo to stay after school to help her, but it turned out she never asked us for any help at all. So Leo and I rushed after Luna when we heard she got picked up by Lester. We ran to Lester's place which turned out to be a giant mansion. Leo told me to go to the garage while he would go and save Luna."

"And you can't help but worry about him because you like Leo, right?" I concluded.

Laila blushed when I told her that. "I-Is it that obvious?"

I chuckled lightly. "Yeah. He might be a bit cocky at times, but he's a really good boy. He always looks after his sister and care about others. That's why he told you to come here, because he didn't want you to end up in trouble because of him."

Laila blushed, but now with a smile on her lips. "Yeah… That makes him really cute. But…" She got a frown on her face. "That also makes me want to scold him for his rudeness!"

I laughed lightly at Laila's enthusiasm about Leo. "It kinda reminds me of Jack. He certainly needs someone to put him in place when he gets overbearing."

Laila laughed at my comment. "Yeah, that's true!"

We kept talking about Laila's life at school and home until Leo rushed to the garage, now dressed in his usual outfit. I had a feeling it was about that Duel Board he saw at Lester's place. But it made me frown worriedly because it was soon time for the second Meklord Emperor to appear.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I woke up early in the morning because I had no idea when the next event would occur. I needed to be prepared for the worst.

I was outside close to the playground by Martha's house and did some stretching. I made sure to stretch my entire body, especially the legs. You see, if you stretched a bit every day and all your body parts, you would become less stiff and more flexible. And you needed to be flexible with your body at fights, especially now during the war against Yliaster.

I then jogged around the area five times before I took a quick break to catch my breath. Even though I was training every day, I still got a bit exhausted. I was never an athletic person, but I got better condition.

I was about to summon a spear when I felt my Star Mark ache in pain. I looked down on my arm, seeing my Mark glowing through the black sleeve of my shirt. I felt a frown reach my eyebrows. This was the signal to move out.

I quickly went inside Martha's house to get to my room. I fetched my Deck and put it in my pocket of the jacket, except the card that had been on top of my Deck. I ran out again, passing by Blister who was about to greet me, but I ignored him.

I rushed out and kept running until I got to the streets. There were a few vehicles driving around, but it had to do. I lifted up the card in my hand, revealing Star Eater.

"Come forth, Star Eater!"

I still kept running as the card in my hand flew out and shone in bright light while the mass of light got shaped into my ace dragon. Once Star Eater was materialized, I jumped up on his neck before he raised up to the sky. I looked behind Star Eater, seeing shiny powder being released from his wings.

I turned back and saw we were already getting closer to New Domino City where Luna and Leo were right now Turbo Dueling with Lester. I felt the worry and fear grow within me, hoping the twins weren't extremely hurt.

I looked down, spotting Yusei, Jack, Akiza and Crow driving their Duel Runners. They must have picked up the signs too about Luna being in danger. I patted Star Eater's neck, telling him to get down a bit so I could hear and talk to the Signers. He complied and flew down until he was flying above the four Signers.

Akiza looked over her shoulder and saw me and Star Eater. "Hey, it's Estelle!"

The three young men looked up and either smiled or sighed in relief when they saw I had joined them. "Don't you dare start the party without me!" I told them.

"Now, why would we do that?" Crow retorted playfully.

"If Estelle summoned out Star Eater… It must mean something huge is going on with the twins!" Jack concluded.

"Definitely!" Yusei nodded. "So let's rev it up!"

The four Signers drove ahead and went into a tunnel. Star Eater flew up to the sky again and kept flying at the same direction when I spotted a huge Monster up ahead on the Turbo Duel course. It was one of the Meklord Emperors, but I had forgotten the name of this one.

"_**It is called Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity**_", Star Eater told me.

"Thanks", I nodded.

Once the four Signers drove out of the tunnel, Star Eater lowered himself so he flew above them. They could also see the Meklord Emperor and was shocked to see such a big Duel Monster.

"Whoa! Must be a Duel going on!" Crow exclaimed.

"Hey, haven't you Dueled that Monster, Yusei?" Akiza asked. "Remember? With the Ghost?"

Yusei drove up ahead to check the Meklord Emperor. "No! It was a different type, but there are similarities like that mark on its chest! They must be all part of the same group!"

"What're ya saying?! That there's a whole family of those things out there?!" Crow asked.

"Yes!" I shouted. "But I've forgot how many they are!"

It was true. I was actually uncertain if there were really just three of the Meklord Emperors or if there were more of them. I didn't want to say anything stupid.

"Look! It's them!" Yusei called.

We all looked at the Turbo Duel course and spotted the twins along with their opponent Lester.

"Sure is! So the twins are Dueling against that monstrosity?!" Jack exclaimed.

"And Luna Synchro summoned Ancient Fairy Dragon out to the field which is not good!" I added.

"What do you mean?" Akiza asked.

"Yusei, remember the Duel with the Ghost and how the other Meklord Emperor had an ability that absorbed Synchro Monsters and gained their attack points?" I asked.

Yusei nodded before his eyes widened in realization. "Oh, no! This is really bad! Luna must remove Ancient Fairy Dragon as soon as possible or the twins have to somehow take down that Monster!"

"It's that bad?" Crow asked.

"Deadly", I replied.

At the same moment, Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity shot out energy ropes from its chest and wrapped them around Ancient Fairy Dragon. She started roaring in pain and fear, begging for help as she slowly got absorbed into the Meklord Emperor's chest.

"This is awful!" Crow commented. "We're too late!"

We heard Lester's laughter echo around us which made me very angry. I knew I couldn't interfere, so I had to wait the exact moment to help the twins, even if that meant the rest of us had to watch the children getting hurt.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The twins learned that this Lester was the same Lester from school, so Luna had to now bite on the sour apple. But she got over it quickly. The four Signers and I kept following and watching the Turbo Duel, seeing the outcome of it. The twins were really doing a great job to protect and help each other which made us young adults proud of them.

Leo had been able to Synchro summon Power Tool Dragon to the field, and after several tricks with cards and effect and turns, he was able to retrieve Ancient Fairy Dragon and return her to Luna's Extra Deck. It was certainly a relief to see that happen.

But because of that move, Lester started acting even more like a madman. It looked even worse from what I had been reading about in my dimension shortly before I got teleported to this dimension.

Lester was able to make Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity's attack point raise with 400 points after some adjustment on the Meklord. Next, he activated one of the Meklords' special ability to attack Leo directly. And the attack points were more than enough to Leo send out of the Turbo Duel.

The giant laser beam hit the area around Leo and caused all his Duel Monsters to explode as his Life Points dropped to zero. But that wasn't the worst. Due to the explosion that laser beam had made, Leo flew up to the sky and out of the Turbo Duel course!

"NOOO!" Luna's scream echoed around us.

We watched how the unconscious Leo headed towards the ground below the four Signers. I quickly jumped off Star Eater and dived after the boy. I was able to grab Leo before I unleashed my power.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Yusei's group stopped their Duel Runners and literally jumped off them to run to the railing and watched Leo fall while Estelle air-dived for him. They saw the Priestess had grabbed Leo just before a strong crimson light erupted from her. The light was strong and made them shield their eyes.

Estelle switched her outfit into her Warrior Form and landed gracefully on the concrete with her legs before she jumped up high in the air, folding out the wings on her back. The crimson light died down, so the Signers could now see Estelle in her Warrior Form while holding Leo in bridal style.

The four young adult Signers and Luna sighed in relief when they saw Leo was okay and safe in Estelle's arms.

"Wheeh! That was a close one!" Crow sighed loudly in relief.

"Don't tell me that again. I thought Leo was a goner!" Akiza said with a relieved face.

"Nice catch, Estelle!" Jack called.

Yusei just smiled and relaxed his tense shoulders.

Luna felt her eyes getting watery for seeing her twin brother safe and sound in Estelle's arms. But it made her determined to defeat Lester for almost killing Leo.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I smiled down at the group as I sat down on Star Eater's neck with Leo in my arms. He started to stir before he slowly opened his eyes. He looked weak and a bit confused, but he didn't seem to suffer by amnesia.

"E-Estelle…?" Leo mumbled weakly. "D-Did I…lose?"

I nodded, "Yes, but the Duel is not over yet."

It was then I felt a shiver go down my spine as I felt the Crimson Dragon getting ready to show up. My Star Mark glowed as the five Marks of the Dragon appeared in the pentagram Mark. The Head appeared on the top of the star, the Wing on the top right side, the Tail on the down right, the Foot on the down left and the Hand on the top left.

The Star Mark appeared in the sky with the other Marks before it summoned the Crimson Dragon. Leo stared at the mighty beast with big eyes. I had a feeling it was now Leo was going to receive his Mark.

"_**Leonardo Crier, my child**_", Crimson Dragon spoke up, making the boy in my arms gasp in surprise. "_**You have showed compassion and courage to protect your sister through all the times in distress. Therefore, I will bestow you a gift. Accept it.**_"

The Crimson Dragon raised one of his paws and sent a small beam at Leo's right arm. He looked at it and saw the sixth Mark appear. It was the Heart.

And just as the Heart Mark appeared on his arm, a tiny version of it appeared in the middle of my Star Mark. It told me the Star Mark was now complete. It was finally time for me to help the Signers to unlock their powers.

The Crimson Dragon roared again before he disappeared, leaving us to finish the Turbo Duel. Leo stared at his Mark with big eyes.

"I… I'm a Signer?" he mumbled in shock.

I nodded before I helped him take off the Duel Board off his feet and made him sit in front of me while he held his equipment. "You've always meant to be a Signer next to your sister, but you weren't ready to get it until now."

The Turbo Duel continued as the rest of us followed it from the other road or from the sky. I could feel how Luna was determined to give Lester a piece of her mind for hurting her brother.

"Luna…", Leo mumbled worriedly.

I clapped his shoulder. "Don't worry. If something happens, I'll save her."

Leo just nodded in reply, looking at his arm with his fresh-received Mark. I knew with this Mark he had a spiritual connection with Luna, so maybe he was sending a bit of his strength to her.

But the Turbo Duel didn't last for long. Luna had no Monsters or Trap cards, so Lester ordered Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity to attack her directly. Leo cried out her Luna's name as the laser beam tried hitting Luna, but I saw the Duel Spirits shielding her by holding back the laser beam.

It, however, didn't take long time until the Duel Spirits got pushed back and Luna got hit by the laser beam. An explosion occurred which made Leo scream out his little sister's name in horror.

We watched how Luna was still rolling on her Duel Board while the spirit of Regulus ran by her side to make sure she didn't crash into the glass barrier of the Turbo Duel course. I heard the others below me sigh in relief for seeing Luna safe.

Luna skidded to a half when the Duel Board stopped and blew out steam after the extensive Duel. From what I've read, Lester was going to leave the area, but he actually stopped rolling on his Duel Board and turned to Luna with a face that even made me scared of him.

"THIS IS NOT OVER, SIGNER!" he yelled out loud. "MEKLORD EMPEROR SKIEL INFINITY, DESTROY HER!"

The Meklord Emperor turned around and faced Luna before collecting energy for its laser beam. Luna tried to take off the Duel Board so she could run, but I could see she wouldn't make it. The others cried for her while I jumped off Star Eater and flew fast down to Luna when the Meklord Emperor unleased the laser beam.

The explosion was around me and Luna, but I was able to jump up in time with the girl in my arms. However, I felt a sting of pain from my right wing. I realized the laser beam and the explosion must have caused some damage to me. I couldn't hold back a pained hiss as I tried flying up with my hurt wing. Luckily, the explosion had made the Duel Board very loose on Luna's feet so it soon fell off her, landing somewhere below us.

Luna clung on me, but since I didn't wear any shirt, she gripped my arms. I could feel her tremble in my arms. I knew she felt scared for almost dying a couple of seconds ago.

I looked at Lester who glared furiously at me, or was it at Luna? I couldn't tell, but I knew he wouldn't get away unpunished after what he had almost done to the twins. Star Eater flew down to me so I could place Luna on his neck with Leo. The twins looked confused about my actions and was about to ask me when I flew back towards Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity. I could hear the others yell my name, but I ignored them.

I drew out two feathers from both my wings and transformed them into two swords as I dived towards the Meklord Emperor. "This is for hurting the twins, Lester!" I shouted, raising the swords as I got closer to the Meklord Emperor.

I shot down both swords at the head of the Meklord Emperor, trying to pierce through the metal, but the swords scratched against the surface while releasing sparks and loud noise like nails against blackboard. I still kept trying and pushed the swords against the metal, but I noticed how the swords started cracking.

I grunted through my teeth and jumped back, back-flipping in the air as the swords in my hands disappeared in red light. I landed on the Turbo Duel course on a crouch while I went a bit back.

Lester laughed loudly and hysterically. "I can't believe you would try destroying my Meklord Emperor, Priestess! You should know the Emperors are immune to your powers!"

I glared at the boy while I cold sweated. I was aware all the time that my powers weren't effective against the Meklord Emperors, but I still did try to take them down.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

The four Turbo Duelists watched the scene in front of them. They had seen Estelle had failed to make damage at the Meklord Emperor, so they had a very bad feeling about Lester's next move.

"Come on, guys! We need to help Estelle!" Akiza told the boys.

"Yeah, but…", Crow hesitated. "We have no idea how to use our powers! Estelle didn't want to train us until we all were ready."

"Why's that?!" Akiza growled, demanding answers.

"We did promise Estelle not to tell you or the twins about what is really going on", Jack jumped in.

"But why?!" Akiza continued, getting furious.

"Because Estelle wanted to tell you personally when she thought it was time!" Jack retorted, also feeling really irritated.

Yusei just ignored the arguing trio behind him. He watched how Estelle was about to do something when the Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity once again loaded energy for its laser beam. Estelle put up a shield with both her hands before the Meklord Emperor unleased its attack.

The loud noise of collision brought everyone's attention at the Turbo Duel course. The arguing trio turned around to see Estelle was getting pushed back by the laser beam.

Yusei felt through the bond by the Marks how Estelle's strength was seeping away by the hard job by holding up the shield. He did notice cracks were appearing on the crimson energy shield as the laser kept coming.

He suddenly felt terror in his heart. This scene reminded him about the nightmare he had several weeks ago after the encounter with Sherry. The scene of Estelle being killed in the laser beam and Stardust Dragon bleeding…

In the next second, the energy shield in front of Estelle shattered into millions of pieces. It was like time stopped on that one second before the laser beam hit Estelle, causing another explosion around her.

"NOO!" Yusei yelled.

He felt a surge of energy in his body and before he knew it, he was moving…

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I felt my strength in both my arms and my powers weaken as the laser kept coming. I tried standing up against the laser beam, but its strength made me push back. I refused to give up and kept holding on until the shield exploded into pieces in front of me.

My eyes widened and before I could move, I felt the laser beam hit me and the noise of an explosion reached my ears. My body felt like it was on fire, but in a bad way. Pain surged through me, but I could sense I was alive.

In the next moment, I felt someone grab and push me out of the commotion around me. The body felt so familiar, but yet so foreign. My eyes had been closed all the time when I got hit, so I didn't see who it was.

But a warm voice filled my ears that made my heart beat like bells.

"Estelle?"

This voice belonged to no other than Yusei. I slowly opened my eyes to see…a metal mask in front of me. I tried moving my head while my whole body ached to check out this stranger.

The outfit reminded me of an anime/magna character I had seen in my dimension shortly before I got here. What was that character's name again? …Yes! Now I remember!

Incursio from Akame ga Kill!

But this version of Incursio had touches of Stardust Dragon. I looked at the hidden face, seeing the yellow optics on the mask shine with worry.

"Y-Yusei…?" I asked to be sure.

"Incursio" nodded, "Yeah."

"H-How…did you…"

Yusei didn't let me finish before he helped me up on my feet before he turned to Lester who just looked at us with a boring expression. "I don't know who you are, but I know you are part of Yliaster. If you ever try harming my friends again…" He pointed strictly at Lester. "…I will make you pay!"

Lester just snorted at the warning. "And how do you think you can hurt me, Signer?"

"_Enough, Lester!_" a voice from his Duel Disk shouted.

Both Yusei and I froze when we heard the voice. I could tell it was an old man's voice, so it was possible Jakob.

"_You shall retreat and we'll have a serious talk about your unacceptable actions._"

Lester growled, but nodded before he called back Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity. Once that monster disappeared, he turned to me and Yusei with a frown. "You won't get away next time! I'll make you feel pain!" With that, he turned around on his Duel Board and drove away.

Yusei and I watched Lester leave until he was gone. I felt my Mark giving me some strength back and healing some minor wounds I got after the assault. Yusei turned back into his real form with a card in his hand. He turned around and placed his hands on my shoulders. His action made me blush lightly.

"Are you okay?" Yusei asked worriedly.

I nodded lightly. "Y-Yes… But, Yusei…" I looked at the driveway where the others were standing, even Leo and Luna now after Star Eater had dropped them, all looking confused or even shocked to see Yusei standing here on the Turbo Duel course with me. "How did you get over here?"

Yusei arched an eyebrow before looking around. His eyes widened in shock when he saw where he was. "What the…!" He looked down at his right hand, seeing he was holding a card, but not just any card. It was the Stardust Dragon card.

"Hey, Yusei!" Crow yelled. "How the hell did you get over there?!"

Yusei looked very confused that it made me worried. "Let's get out of here before we figure out how this happened", I told him.

"Yeah…", Yusei nodded slowly.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Leo and Luna guided us to the mansion where Lester was supposed to live…to only see nothing but a big grass field and a few trees. So we tried asking Bob and Laila about Lester, but it turned out they didn't remember him.

We were now back at the garage to think about the current situation.

"Illusion and memory manipulation…", I concluded, now dressed in my casual outfit. "The Three Pure Nobles are much stronger than I imagined."

"So that's the real name of the group that has the Meklords?" Jack asked me.

I nodded, "Yes."

"I don't know for sure, but my gut's telling me there's some big-time trouble off-foot. Don't you think, Akiza?" Crow asked.

"I do", Akiza replied.

"Uh-huh", Yusei nodded in agreement.

"Well, I say bring it on then!" Jack said in determination. "Why let the trouble finds us when we can go and find it?"

"Because, Jack, to defeat this so-called trouble, we need to perfect a new way of Dueling", Yusei told him. "We need to master the way of Accel Synchro."

"And not just that, but also start training and unlocking your powers", I added.

"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you since the boys mentioned something about training and stuff", Akiza threw a glare at me.

I sighed lightly. "I'm sorry for keeping it as a secret, but I needed time to find out some things and I didn't want to worry you or the twins."

Leo looked at his Mark with Luna. "I can't believe I'm a Signer!" A grin grew on his lips. "I always knew I could be a Signer like you, sis!"

Luna looked a bit surprised, but gave him a smile. "Yeah. Even though I still find it hard to believe."

"So… What happens now?" Crow wondered.

"Now, the real training will begin", I replied. "It's going to drain all six of you physically, mentally and spiritually. I have a feeling the sudden transformation of Yusei's has something to do with his powers combined with Stardust Dragon's, so it's possible you guys can merge and become one with your Signer Dragons. I want all of you to listen carefully to my instructions and never try out something unknown for you that could hurt your spirit." I looked at each Signer before inhaling. "Are you guys ready?" I pulled up the sleeve of my right arm to reveal my Star Mark without the six parts of the Mark of the Dragon and held it out.

"I was born ready!" Crow said, removing his glove and placed his hand on top of mine.

"I'll do my best to perfect my powers and more", Akiza pulled down her glove before joining.

"I'm definitely ready to kick some butt and put those guys in their rightful place!" Jack nodded, revealing his Mark and placed his hand on top of Akiza's.

"I don't want to see anyone get hurt after what I've been through today, so…", Luna pulled up the sleeve of her shirt and placed her hand on Jack's. "I'm in."

"And I'll protect Luna and show Lester next time not to mess with any of us!" Leo nodded before placing his hand on Luna's.

Yusei pulled off his glove and drew up his sleeve before placing his hand on top of Leo's. "And no matter what, we all stick together and protect each other. No one should go and face the Three Pure Nobles alone." He cast his eyes on me with a strict gleam. "Especially you, Estelle."

"No promises, since I am their target", I said honestly. "But I will also do my best and become stronger. One for all…"

"…And all for one!"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**I bet you guys didn't expect seeing Yusei transform like that. I seriously did get that idea from "Akame ga Kill!". It's a really great and famous manga/anime, but the manga is also famous for its gore scenes.**

**I will draw all six Signers in their own Signer outfits and even give them names. I'll tell you when I get the arts up on my DA account.**

**Now, what kind of chapter shall I write next? Continue with the next episode with the clip show, but modifying to add something more in the plot, or writing a chapter about the beginning of the training with the Signers to unlock their powers?**

**Please tell me which I should do. I appreciate it.**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Laila Noble belongs to **_**Springflowerangel**_**.**


	49. Training and Thinking

**After seeing how you guys voted, I will first write the made-up chapter about Estelle helping the Signers with the training to unlock their powers.**

**And as you can see, I changed the summary of the story. I felt like it had to get refreshed after coming so long with this fanfic. I also plan changing the image, but I won't tell anything about it.**

**Arts of Jack and Akiza's Signer Warriors outfits are up on my DeviantArt account. ;)**

**Meanwhile, enjoy watching the Signers fail and success in their training, and some more interesting moments! I'll let everyone have their moments for the point of views. Some of them will be short while others will be long. Oh, and expect some Starparticleshipping too! :D**

**Before I forget it, the first part of the chapter takes place at the evening of the day in the last chapter.**

**WARNING! Long chapter!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 49: Training and Thinking**

I was dressed in my nightgown while I sat by my desk, writing in a notebook. The notebook was actually a strategy book with notes I was going to use for the training with the Signers. It contained different info about physical training, magical training and spiritual training. I wanted to start the training tomorrow already, so I told the Signers to meet up at the gym one hour after Akiza and the twins finished school so they all could join and not miss a single training session.

I actually had been feeling a bit stressed lately of the training I had weeks before this. I had to be prepared to help the Signers using their powers and how to properly use weapons when the time comes… Well, except for Yusei who had "cheated" a bit before.

I let out a sigh after I closed the notebook. I was also afraid I was going to be a bad teacher since I didn't consider myself as a teaching person. I never had the confidence for that, but I was willing to try.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV**

Jack and I were in the changing room in the gym and changed into training clothes we had prepared last night. Crow had called us minutes ago, saying he would get a bit late, and Akiza and the twins were soon going to show up.

I was dressed in a black shirt with short sleeves and dark blue sporty shorts. Since we were at the martial art section, I was wearing protective gloves and protective stockings.

Jack had a grey tank top, black sporty shorts and the protective gear. Of course, for safety matters, he took off his earrings and giant necklace.

"I wonder what Estelle's up to for today", Jack commented as we walked down the corridor to get to the martial arts arena.

"We'll see about that", I replied. "But I really worry about her health."

Jack glanced down at me confusedly. "What'd you mean?"

I looked down on the floor, reminiscing Estelle's face yesterday. "When I held her so close to me… I could see she had bags under her eyes and she was so light in my arms. Plus, I noticed how skinny she was in her warrior outfit. I'm seriously worried if she's not overdoing herself with the training."

Jack snorted, "Yusei, I know you're worried about her because you really like, so I suggest you 'fess up and tell her your feelings."

"I can't do that!" I told Jack, looking up at him with a glare.

"And why not?!" Jack retorted. "It's obvious you like her!"

I was about to counter back when we reached the martial arts arena. And I got actually pretty surprised. There were several people in there, working on their martial art skills. Some were alone, but the majority was like two or three in a group. Some of them held those portable punching bags to help the partner practice with their punches and kicks.

Jack clicked on my shoulder with his finger, getting my attention. I looked at him and saw him point to a corner of the arena with his other hand. I followed his glance and I think I felt myself stop for a moment.

Estelle sat there in the middle of the corner, doing some stretching on the floor. And I had to tell you; I have never seen anyone stretch like she did.

She sat stretching her body like she was a ballerina with her legs stretched out as wide as possible while she pushed her upper body down with her arms stretched forward. Her red tank top and black tight shorts didn't make things better for me.

When I realized I've been staring at her for long, I broke out from the spell and looked away, feeling a bit ashamed of myself for watching Estelle. I felt like a child who got caught by the cookie jar.

I heard Jack chuckle next to me before he walked up to Estelle. He greeted her and made her look up from the stretching and greet him with a smile before she stood up. I followed Jack and saw Estelle greet me with a gentle smile. It made my heart beat a bit faster.

"So… I see you two had the courage to show up", Estelle teased lightly.

"Well, you told us to come so you can help us with the training", Jack retorted.

"Crow is going to be slight late due to work", I told her.

Estelle nodded, "I know. Crow texted me before." She looked a bit absentminded before she returned the attention to us. "Since I want to wait for the others before the lesson, I want to measure your strengths."

Jack certainly looked like a question mark. "How can you measure strength?"

Estelle walked up to the wall where portable punching bags were along with a notebook and a water bottle with several plastic cups. She picked up a big punching bag and walked back to us. "I've gone through extreme training and guidance by Duel Monsters who helped me a lot. I can feel by the strength of someone's punch to measure it." She held up the punching bag. "So, punch on this and I'll be able to tell."

"Then I'll go first", Jack cracked his fist before walking up to Estelle.

I stood aside and watched Jack preparing himself. Estelle seemed to analyze his pose and how he moved his body before he threw a punch on the punching bag.

Estelle looked like she was calculating something before she shook her head disappointingly. "Too much force. You're putting all your strength in your fist without saving some of it for the rest of the fight."

Both Jack and I gaped at the calculation. "You can tell by that single fist?" Jack asked.

Estelle nodded, "Yes." She turned to me. "Your turn, Yusei."

I nodded and walked over to her as Jack walked back to give me space. I relaxed my shoulders and got into a fighting pose. I saw how Estelle looked at me with those analyzing eyes while she observed every single move I made.

I pulled back my fist and then threw it on the punching bag. It wasn't as forceful as Jack's, but Estelle looked a bit disappointed again. "You held yourself back there, didn't you?" she asked.

I nodded lightly. "Yeah."

Estelle pondered about something before she nodded to herself, as if confirming something. "You don't have to be afraid to hurt me, if that's what you worry about."

"Sorry…", I mumbled.

"It's okay", Estelle shook her head. "Now, try again."

I drew back my fist and threw it on the punching bag.

Estelle nodded, "Much better. But it's not as strong as it should be."

"Yeah, since Yusei's not the violent guy", Jack commented.

"You've always been the strongest and hotheaded in the orphanage", I pointed out. "But you shouldn't be so proud of it."

"I agree", Estelle said. "Strength and violence aren't always the answers to solve problems."

"I know that now!" Jack retorted irritated before he turned away with his arms crossed.

Both Estelle and I sighed at his behavior. I remembered the old times in the Satellite how Jack often used violence to teach the bad guys a lesson after Enforcers got disbanded. It was mostly to protect his so-called territory.

"Whoa! What did we just miss?"

The three of us turned around to see Crow, Akiza, Leo and Luna walk up to us, all of them dressed in training clothes and the protective gear.

Crow was wearing an orange shirt and dark green shorts. Akiza had a dark magenta tank top and black sporty shorts. Leo had a light blue shirt and white shorts. Luna wore a light pink shirt and same type of white shorts as her brother.

Estelle smiled at the group before walking up to them. "Nothing important. I see you're all ready for some training?"

"You can write it up!" Crow winked and threw a thumbs up.

"I'm free until 7 PM, so I'll do my best", Akiza nodded.

"But Leo and I can only stay to 6 PM because we've got lots of homework to do since we missed school yesterday", Luna told us.

"It was because of Lester and his Meklord", Leo shrugged. "Man, I never skipped school and this had to happen."

"Okay then", Estelle nodded. "The clock is right now 3:10 PM, so we'll train to 5:30 PM."

"That long?!" Crow exclaimed in surprise.

Estelle nodded, "Yes, that long. We'll start with some warmup, meaning stretching. I'll show you guys some moves."

So Estelle did the same stretching Jack and I saw when we entered the arena. The twins, Crow and Akiza also got shocked to see her stretch so flexibly. We did our best with the stretching, but none of us were able to stretch like her.

"If you keep doing some stretching every day, even for just a couple of minutes and several times a day, it'll help you guys become flexible", she told us. "But _never_ overdo the stretching. It will just make the opposite effect."

"Got that one down", Crow commented as he stretched his arms.

Soon, we were done with the stretching and Estelle did the same strength measure with the others. Crow was around on the same level as me while Akiza and the twins were quite weaker.

Then Estelle started showing us some basic moves. She told us how to properly clench a fist and punch. Same with the kicks, but that was a difficult level for Akiza and the children. Crow, Jack and I kinda made it since we did have some experience from the old days.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Akiza's POV**

I felt my body being sore after today's training session, but it was a good ache. I really admired Estelle in the way she moved her body. She did look like she had been made of boiled spaghetti, but that was the result of several months of training. The rest of us were like newbies, except Yusei, Jack and Crow. They had some experience from what I've heard.

Estelle had told us where we could find a good website about stretching so we could print out the exercises and do them at home. There were different kinds of stretching that I didn't know existed. Like morning stretching or bedtime stretching, even stretching with a partner, stretching with your head if you were sitting too much in front of the computer and beyond.

Right now, I was dressed in a red pyjamas while doing some relaxing stretching on the floor. It felt so good for my aching muscles that I couldn't help but let out some low moans. The body parts I focused mostly on were my legs and my upper body.

I did the stretching for five minutes before I laid down on the carpet, looking up at the ceiling. I was thinking about the other moments Estelle had forewarned us about; weapons session and magic session. She told us we were going to do both sessions in the Spirit World in order to not attract any attention. Plus, she said the Duel Monsters there could help us in case she wasn't able to teach us properly.

Estelle had been a good teacher with the martial arts today, but I could tell she wasn't a teaching person. She did even confess she felt a bit uncomfortable with it, but she handled it so far so good.

I thought back at the view of her today. She was so skinny that when we changed our clothes after the session that I could see the ribs on her flesh. Both Luna and I got seriously worried about her, but Estelle had just smiled and said she was going to make a different schedule for her training. I feared she was overdoing herself.

I remembered the reason why I even fell in love with her. She had a motherly side I had missed during the time in the Arcadia Movement. Sayer had been a father-figure, but there was never a woman who gave me the motherly feeling. Estelle had first been like a big sister to me, but now she felt more like a mother. True, she did have her moments of childishness because of her autism, but she did her best to act like a woman for her age. Sometimes, I did feel like she was forcing herself to do that. Maybe because she didn't want to get disliked by us, but that was ridiculous. However… I kind of understood her reasons. She wanted to be like a normal human, just what I used to feel before I joined the team. After what she told me about her being treated like dirt back in her dimension, it was actually understandable.

Even though she didn't feel the same for me, I wanted to protect her from other men who tried to approach her. I knew she could take care of herself, but I couldn't help but want to be close to her for as long as possible.

I sat up on my knees and started meditating. Another "homework" that Estelle gave us was to meditate every evening before bed. By meditating, it would increase our spirit and awareness. "Listen to the silence", she had said, but none of us didn't get it.

Estelle tried explaining for us as simply as she could. You had to shut out the sounds and noises around you and not about anything at all in order to truly meditate. Not focus on a single noise or thinking about a certain thing. Just…relax and free your senses.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Luna's POV**

Leo and I finished all homework from school, so we were able to stay a bit longer to train today. My body was still a bit sore from yesterday's practice, but it wasn't something I was worried about.

Today, after school, our group got teleported to the Spirit World. It was beautiful and the air was sweet and fresh. I couldn't sense any danger here after the Earthbound Immortals tried invading both this and our world.

"Where are we going, Estelle?" Akiza asked as we followed the brunette.

"To the perfect place for weapons training", Estelle replied. "You'll see."

"Well, that didn't really help", Leo mumbled next to me.

"Leo!" I scolded him.

"Hey, what's that up ahead?" Crow spoke up.

We all looked up and saw a big building made of stone that looked very familiar.

"It's the Colosseum", Estelle replied. "Here, warrior Duel Monsters comes around for friendly competition once in a while. It's also here the novices train under strict leadership by a couple of legends."

"Interesting", Jack said. "Is it possible we might meet up with any Duel Monsters we have in our Decks?"

"It's possible, yes", Estelle nodded. "Now, come along!"

Estelle guided to the entrance, but went into a different direction than to the arena. We walked down a corridor and down the stairs to reach a massive training ground with several Duel Monsters training.

Different kinds of warrior Duel Monsters were there training. I spotted a Beautiful Headhuntress sparring with a Dust Knight while another duo of an Amazoness Swords Woman and a Knight Day Grepher sparred further away from us. I could take the whole day to name the Duel Monsters, but when they spotted us they all stopped sparring and bowed in greeting.

"At ease", Estelle smiled gently. "Please continue your sparring."

The Duel Monsters nodded before they returned to their training.

"Wow…", Akiza said in awe. "They truly respect you, Estelle."

Estelle shook her head. "Not just me but also you guys." She turned around to face us. "The seven of us are chosen by the Crimson Dragon, so that makes us special."

"So…", Yusei spoke up, which I noticed he had been quiet the entire time. "We're going to spar against Duel Monsters?"

"Not yet", Estelle shook her head. "You'll get guidance by two legendary Duel Monsters."

On that second, two Duel Monsters walked up to us. One of them looked like a man with a yellow sword and a flaming aura and the other one looked like one of the elves from the Irish mythology.

Estelle turned to the Duel Monsters before she introduced them to us. "These two will help you just as they helped me. Flame Swordsman, former Duel Monster of Joey Wheeler, and Celtic Guardian, former Duel Monster of Yugi Mutou."

"**It is a pleasure to meet you, Signers**", Celtic Guardian nodded.

"**But be prepared, we won't go easy on you**", Flame Swordsman added.

"I knew I've seen those two before!" Jack exclaimed pointing at the Duel Monsters. "Those two Monsters are legends, next to several Duel Monsters from Yugi Mutou's time!"

"I'm surprised, Jack", Crow grinned. "I thought you didn't do your homework while you used to be Goodwin's paw."

Jack was about to hit Crow on his head when the orange-haired man hid behind Yusei. "_Everyone_ should know about the original Duel Monsters, idiot!" the blonde man growled.

Akiza, Yusei and I sighed at Jack while Estelle just shook her head in amusement. "If you're done arguing, we should start the training", she said.

"Okay!" Leo exclaimed in full enjoyment.

I had a feeling he would act differently after the training session.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Leo's POV**

My arms were so stiff after the training. I could barely move them as the guys and I were showering in the "changing room". Even though we practiced with wooden swords, it was intense. Flame Swordsman and Celtic Guardian had paired us with other Duel Monsters who took it kinda easy for us, but still didn't show mercy.

And I thought at first this training would be a piece of cake. I was very wrong there.

"Geez, are you okay, lil' man?" Crow spoke up.

I turned around to look at him. He stood right behind me with his hands on the hips, looking at me with slight worried eyes like a big brother. Why wasn't he or the others sore?! No fair!

"I'm fine…", I replied weakly.

Crow shook his head. "Doesn't look like it. Want me to help you washing your hair?"

"Crow, don't spoil him", Jack spoke up from the shower to the right. "If he wants to become a true man, he has to learn to be independent."

"Well, yeah… But his arms are stiff", Crow retorted.

I didn't want to be a damsel in distress. I wanted to be a man like Yusei, Jack and Crow!

"I can take care of myself!" I grunted.

I turned back to the shower and moved slowly my arms to wash my hair. My arms were very stiff, but I didn't want the others to worry about me. I could take care of myself, just how I could look after my sister!

I heard Crow sigh lightly behind me. "If you're sure, buddy…" Then I heard footsteps walk on the mosaic floor and the noise of another shower blended in.

I could feel how my stiff arms were getting a bit better, and it made me moan lightly in relief. But that made Jack chuckle at me which I found embarrassing.

"Feeling better, Leo?" he said in a teasing voice.

I glared at him which made him chuckle in amusement again when Yusei spoke up from the shower on Jack's right side. "Leave him alone, Jack." Jack snorted and turned back to the shower.

I heard someone close their showerhead and the noise of wet footsteps echoed behind me. I looked lightly over my shoulder to see Yusei walk past me. He had a towel wrapped around his waist, so his upper body was naked.

My eyes widened when I saw two big scars on him; one on his stomach and one on his back. Where did he get them from?

"Yusei!" I called.

Yusei stopped walking and turned to me with a questioning expression. "Yeah?"

"Where did you get those cool scars from?" I asked excitedly.

For some strange reason, it got eerie quiet in the showers. Jack and Crow had stopped scrubbing themselves right after I had asked Yusei. He kept his poker face on, but I could see in his eyes that he was bothered by something.

Yusei looked away from me and looked ahead with a hard expression. "By the Beheader."

I gaped before I remembered he and Estelle had encountered that Beheader and how that murderer had hurt Yusei. I decided to cheer up Yusei by being honest.

"Well, those scars look so cool!" I smiled. "Real battle scar you should be proud of, Yusei, 'cause they show you're a hero!"

"HUH?!" Jack and Crow exclaimed in surprise in the background.

I watched how Yusei's lips moved into a small smile before he looked at me again with soft eyes. "Thanks, Leo."

I just grinned and rubbed my nose, feeling myself blush a bit. I was glad to see Yusei in a better mood because of me. It was still a bit embarrassing, though. I think I just sounded like a girl back there.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Jack's POV**

That little brat… I didn't know if I should punish him or thank him. Yusei was still a bit insecure about those two scars on his body after the incident with the Beheader, but he looked emotionally better after Leo's comment.

The three of us were right now in Yusei's room, doing some stretching together.

"So, tomorrow will be the magic part, huh?" Crow spoke up as he stretched his body towards his right leg.

"Yep", Yusei nodded, stretching his arms.

"And from what Estelle told us, you two and Akiza are the ones who have unlocked your powers so far", Crow continued.

"It looks that way", Yusei replied.

I looked up from my stretching. "Does Estelle mean by Akiza's psychic powers or something else?"

"Her healing powers, Jack", Yusei told me. "Remember? She's the one who took care of the wounds I got and she healed them thanks to Estelle who had guided her to activate the unique power."

"That reminds me…", Crow spoke up. "How did you two unlock your powers?"

Both Yusei and I stopped stretching and looked at each other before my super-old "rival" started explaining.

"Well… My powers got somehow activated during the time Estelle and I got kidnapped by that selfish man who wanted me for his team in the WRGP. When he kept talking about what he wanted to do with her, I… I just got so angry and smashed the TV screen with a burning fist."

"So… When you got emotionally upset, your powers unlocked just like that?" Crow asked.

"Yeah…", Yusei nodded.

A grin spread out on Crow's face. "How sweet! Not just about your powers but also how they got unlocked because of your feelings for Estelle!"

Yusei blushed lightly and looked away, trying to hide his embarrassment. Luckily, Crow turned his attention to me.

"And how about you, Jack?"

I thought back at the time when it got chaotic during the WRGP party. "Back at the party, when Yusei told me to drive after Estelle to see if she was okay, I wasn't able to reach her with just my Duel Runner. I tried using my powers to summon Duel Monsters without the Duel Disk and it was then I literally heard a chain go off when I summoned Vice Berserker."

Crow pondered for a moment. "Sounds to be like we have to be close to Estelle in order to activate our powers."

"It seems that way, yes", Yusei nodded. "Because she's the Priestess and she has the connection with the Crimson Dragon. That makes her the strongest of us all spiritually."

"But she can't use her full potential without us, right?" I wondered.

"I think so", Yusei nodded.

"Well, guess the kids and I have to work harder to unlock our own chains and keys to become superhuman like you guys", Crow commented.

Yusei sweat dropped, "We're not superhuman, Crow. Just…special."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Special sounds way better than different."

**XXXXXXXXXX – Crow's POV**

Whoa… I had to tell ya; I had never seen such a beautiful place like this before.

We were in the Spirit World again, but this time in a big clearing in the middle of a forest. Mountains were close to the forest and I had a feeling there was a pond nearby too.

"Today, we're doing some basic magic lessons", Estelle told us. "I will help you guide through the course, but I need you to listen to every single step I'll tell you."

"Yeah, yeah, just start already!" Leo said impatiently.

"Calm down, Leo!" Luna glared at him.

"Okay…", Estelle let out a sigh, as if to relax herself. "All of you… Close your eyes."

"What for?" Jack asked.

"Just do it, Jack!" Akiza glared and slapped Jack's left arm.

"Hey!" Jack retorted, glaring at her.

I rolled my eyes before I closed my eyes.

"Inhale and relax… This course will work better if you guys relax", Estelle told us.

I heard the others around me inhale and exhale while I followed the lead.

"Now… I want you to imagine a circle in front of your eyes. A white circle."

I tried imagining a ball in front of me that was totally white. It somehow worked since I had the picture right in front of me.

"You got it?" Estelle asked.

Yeahs, uh-huhs and yes were heard as I nodded.

"Good. Next, change the color of the white ball into your favorite color."

I imagined my ball black with purple shade.

"If you got it, now change the ball into your favorite element. Wind, fire, water, earth, light, even darkness or any other element you like. Try also imagining the ball in a color connected to the element, like orange with fire, blue with water, and so on. There's no rush. Take your time."

My favorite element? That would be the wind. And which color was associated with that element? It was difficult. With Duel Monsters, it was the green color, but it was more connected to the earth.

How about…a combination of grey and white? Yes, that would work.

"Imagine the ball being painted by the base color while the element surrounds it like an aura."

Aha! That would do it!

I concentrated hard on changing the color of the ball into grey before the white wind surrounded it like a tornado. It was actually hard to do it, but I did it.

"Okay… Those who have come this far, reach out your hands with the Marks on your arms."

I reached out my hand, my eyes still shut tight.

"Keep the element ball in your vision while you use another part of your concentration to your Marks. Try feeling the power from your Marks reach down to your hands, like sparks, and imagine the ball appear above the palm."

Okay… That would get tricky.

I tried keeping the tornado ball in my vision as I used a small part of me to reach my Mark. I could feel the warmth of the Mark when I made it and felt sparks rush through my hand. I clenched my shut eyes even more as I tried creating the tornado ball.

After a couple of seconds, I could feel a breeze on the palm of my hand. I was curious to see if I did it, but I decided to wait until Estelle's next words.

"Okay… Yusei, Akiza, Luna and Crow… Open your eyes slowly while keeping the feeling in your hands."

I relaxed my eyelids before opening them slowly. The first view I got was the same tornado ball I had imagined in my mind floating above my palm. I couldn't believe it… I actually did it on my first try!

I glanced at the others, curious to see what they had made. Yusei had a gentle green wind ball like mine. Huh… Probably coming from Stardust Dragon.

Akiza's element ball was light brown with rose petals surrounding it. That must definitely come from Black Rose Dragon for sure.

Luna had a light yellow ball with a rainbow aura surrounding. Did she also get inspiration from her Signer Dragon?

Jack let out a sigh, snapping out of his concentration. "This is ridiculous!" He clenched his hand into a fist and opened his glaring eyes. "This isn't working!"

"For you, yeah! But not for us!" I bragged.

"Jack's not the only one struggling, guys!" Leo whined. "This isn't supposed to be so hard! The guys in the comic books make it look so easy!"

Estelle sighed, "Leo, that's because it's not reality. _This_ is reality and nothing works so easy. Don't expect the world around you being served on a silver plate."

I moved my hand, but the ball disappeared when I felt my concentration slip. "Damn…"

"I did expect Yusei, Akiza and Luna making it this far, but I didn't imagine Crow being able to summon the sphere", Estelle confessed.

"Well, what'd ya know?" I grinned excitedly. "I've got hidden talents!"

"Not too much, but some are useful… Like your cooking skills", Yusei commented.

"Hey! I'm the one who can make decent dishes unlike you and Jack, Yusei!" I retorted.

"I can cook, but not as good as you, Crow", Yusei defended.

"And I am too good to cook", Jack bragged.

We all looked at him as if he was a Martian. Did he really just say that? Damn him and his big ego!

"Anyway, I can tell Jack and Leo have concentration problems, so I suggest you to learn to relax and meditate more", Estelle said.

Jack just nodded while Leo let out a whining yes.

"Okay then… We'll move on to the next step", Estelle said. "I understand if you guys feel a bit drained mentally by this single course, but I promise I won't overwork you."

"We trust you, Estelle", Akiza said with a warm voice.

"Please teach us more", Luna said.

Estelle nodded, "If you're sure and don't want to take a quick break…"

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

The rest of the time got spent by showing the Signers how I controlled my powers and tried explaining what I think and feel when I either summon a shield or sending several energy spheres towards a target and moving on.

Some Duel Monsters showed up once in a while to greet us before continuing their tasks. The Duel Monsters were often small and cute ones that seemed to be comfortable around Luna since she was the Princess of the Spirits.

When it was time to take a break, the Signers literally collapsed on the ground, every single one of them exhausted. I could tell they were feeling weak in their minds since using magic took a tool on one. I had been prepared for that and gave them all one towel and water bottle each before I said I was going to take a walk nearby.

I walked to a cliff with a waterfall and a pond among the boulders. I sat down and listened to the pouring water of the waterfall. It had such a relaxing effect on me. I needed it because I was also exhausted by guiding the Signers.

Crow and Luna have been able to unlock their powers today, so Leo was the only one left. Yes, Leo had been unable to activate his powers to do stuff the whole time. Apparently, he had a very bad concentration problem. I needed to come up with a method that could help him with that.

I was so deep in thoughts of trying finding a solution that I slightly jumped when I heard a voice behind me.

"Estelle?"

I looked up and saw Yusei stare down at me. Did he follow me all the way here? I found it kinda hard to believe.

"Yes, Yusei?" I asked.

"Mind if I join you?"

I shook my head. "Go ahead."

Yusei sat down on my left side, looking a bit better than a couple of minutes ago. His eyes looked clear and his face wasn't damp by sweat anymore.

Both of us were quiet as the waterfall poured the water down into the pond in front of us. The silence did somehow feel a bit awkward. I never felt it like that whenever I was alone with Yusei. Was he worried about something? I tried using the bond between the Marks, but Yusei had somehow put up barriers which made me unable to find out how he was feeling.

"Akiza told me about your condition", Yusei suddenly spoke up.

"Hm?" I asked, pulling up my legs so I could rest my chin on my knees while I wrapped my arms around the legs, never looking up.

"I know you're worried about our safety, but you need to look after more of yourself", Yusei's voice sounded very worried. "Why are you pushing yourself so hard?"

I sighed lightly. It was true I was actually pushing myself with my own training, but I had a reason for it. "Because…", I began while I stood up, still having my glance forward. "…I want to protect you guys. I know I might sound a bit stupid with my next sentences, but it's the truth. You six belong in this dimension while I am and always will be an outsider." Sad thoughts and feelings washed me over when I thought back at my lonely past. "I only have a _temporary_ reason for existing in this world, but after my purpose is fulfilled… I will go back to my world…" I looked down, feeling a tear run down my cheek. "That is why I want to make sure none of you gets fatally hurt, or even worse, even if that means my health will be affected-"

I wasn't able to finish the sentence when Yusei suddenly grabbed my wrists roughly. His eyes were filled with rage which scared me a bit. I was surprised to see him act so aggressively. It was usually Jack who was the aggressive type.

"Don't say such-", Yusei was about to say when I felt we were losing the balance and fell down in the pond.

While we were falling, I felt Yusei wrap an arm around my waist and the other one around my head, as if protecting me from the impact.

We landed in the pond and water splashed all around us. Luckily, the pond wasn't so deep and just reached my ankles and wrists as I held myself up. Yusei stood above me on all four, looking down at me with now slight gentle eyes, but they still held some rage.

"Yusei-", I began when he interrupted me again.

"Don't say you're less valuable in this world just because you're not a native!" Yusei literally spat out, making me flinch back a bit. "You're just as precious as the rest of us! I understand you want to protect us, but please let us take off part of your burden from your shoulders and let us help you! That's part of Signers' duty; to protect the Priestess! Isn't it?" His eyes with rage softened until he got back those gentle eyes again as he leant closer to me which made me blush. "You said that so yourself…"

I nodded slowly as I slowly backed my head from his. I think it was only now Yusei realized how close we were to each other because his eyes widened a bit and held a slight shocked expression. But that melted when he approached me while closing his eyes.

I suddenly felt terrified. Was he going to kiss me?!

I shut my eyes tight and waited to feel his lips on me. I could feel his breath as he came closer when…

"Estelle! Yusei! We're ready for more practice!" Akiza's voice echoed.

Both Yusei and I snapped back and looked up to see Akiza stand on the boulders and having a shocked expression that slowly transformed into a furious one. Her right eyebrow twitched a bit as I sensed her psychic powers slowly activate.

"What the hell are you doing to Estelle, Yusei?!"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**I got the Starparticleshipping idea last night to add more tension between Yusei and Estelle. I actually feel a bit embarrassed, but I think that part was necessary for their "relationship", since they aren't a couple…yet. Now it's going to be a bit tense between them, so how will they resolve it? You'll find out soon.**


	50. Yusei's Secret

**I know Episode 79 is a clip show, so I decided to replace it with different and probably something that you might never have thought about; revealing a dark secret of Yusei's past. Now, this something could also give us another reason why Yusei is so quiet and serious, and why he never had any interest for girls. …Well, that might be my thought.**

**I need to warn you; there will be dark themes, some nudity and lime, but never lemon. And to make sure you'll get it; there will ****NEVER**** be lemons in this fanfic.**

**A new OC of mine is showing up briefly. You can also find her on my DA account; her name is Gina Franklin.**

**The chapter begins in Yusei's POV.**

**WARNING! Long chapter!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 50: Yusei's Secret**

Jack, Crow and I were eating breakfast in the kitchen. My two foster brothers were literally devouring the food Crow had made which consisted of bacon, eggs, toast and both tea and coffee. I was just poking my food with the fork, being absentminded about the practice with magic two days ago.

I felt so ashamed about attempting to kiss Estelle. I didn't know what came over me back then. When we fell down into the pond and water splashed on both of us, Estelle's natural beauty suddenly seemed to shine brighter than usual. It was so tempting, but Akiza interrupted us just before I was about to kiss Estelle. And it was kinda a good thing she did, because I might have lost control if I felt Estelle's lips.

Ugh… I felt like a pervert, or was it just sexual tension? I wish I could tell, but I had never been in love for real after I became a teenager. The old crush on Rika didn't really count. I was naïve and childish, as any other children, so I didn't understand what love was really about…until now.

"Hey, Yusei? You okay?" Crow spoke up.

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up, seeing both Crow and Jack looking at me with worried eyes.

"You're not hungry?" Jack asked.

"You've barely eaten anything. Not having an appetite?" Crow wondered.

I looked down on my place. I had just eaten half of the egg and bacons. The toast and cup of tea were untouched.

I shook my head before standing up. "I'm not so hungry." I grabbed my cup of tea. "I'll be in the garage."

I could feel how Crow and Jack watched me as I walked down the stairs to the garage. The new engine was actually ready for a test drive. I had to install it in my Duel Runner so I could go for a ride and see if it was really working.

My jacket and gloves were already on the chair in front of the desk, so I placed my cup of tea on the desk and went to work. But before that, I opened the entrance to the garage, letting fresh air sweep inside. I inhaled the air and relaxed my shoulders. Today seemed to be the perfect day for the test ride.

I removed the engine my Duel Runner currently had and installed the new engine. It took like five minutes to carefully insert the cables into their rightful places in the Duel Runner before I shut close the compartment. I nodded to myself for installing the new engine before I put away the old one. I grabbed the old cloth I used to wipe the oil dabs off me and wiped my hands clean.

I put on my jacket and was about to pull on my gloves when the front door opened. I looked up, expecting Zora or a costumer even though it was Sunday, but I felt my eyes widen in horror when I saw who it was.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

"I'm getting worried about him", Crow mumbled after Yusei had vanished from his and Jack's field of vision.

"So am I", Jack nodded. "He's been absentminded since our training in the Spirit World."

"Yeah…", Crow nodded. "When Akiza came back with Estelle and Yusei, she looked furious while both Yusei and Estelle looked embarrassed." He turned to the blonde man. "You think something happened between them and Akiza interrupted them?"

"Knowing Yusei, he wouldn't take the next step to hook up with Estelle", Jack said before taking a sip of his coffee. "For some weird reason, he just won't confess to her or ask her to go out with him. It's like something's holding him back."

"Yeah, but why?" Crow wondered.

Jack shrugged, "I don't know." He gaped lightly when he remembered something. "Wait… Could it be because Estelle is not from our world?"

Crow realized what Jack meant. "Yeah… I keep forgetting Estelle is from a totally different world where we only exist as cartoon characters and the Duel Monsters is just a simple card game." He let out a weak laugh. "Estelle is so human it makes me sometimes forget about it."

"Me too", Jack confessed. "But still! Wouldn't Yusei be happy to go out with Estelle before she leaves, so he won't regret not telling her his feelings, and then move on?"

"I wish I knew, man", Crow sighed. "Yusei barely tells us about his concerns or thoughts. He keeps everything inside and never spills out anything… Unlike us, who keep showering our worries and concerns on him."

"He's a good listener and he truly helps us out in our own mess sometimes. But…", Jack's eyes turned a bit soft and reflected concern. "I wish we could do a bit more for him."

Crow felt a mischievous grin grow on his lips. "Are you that worried, Jack?"

Jack blushed in embarrassment before he lashed out on the carrot-head. "I am not _that_ worried, idiot!" Crow just grinned even bigger.

The duo continued eating their breakfast…until an unusual loud voice echoed from downstairs. And it was a voice those two didn't hear often.

"WHAT ARE _YOU_ DOING HERE?!"

Crow almost choked on the piece of toast he just took a bite off while Jack spat out his coffee, accidently steeping Crow who sat across him. The carrot-headed quickly drank his cup of tea before letting out a huge sigh of relief. But the moment wasn't over.

"Was that Yusei who yelled just now?" Crow asked in pure surprise, ignoring the fact he was half-wet by the coffee.

Jack nodded, "Yeah. And when Yusei snaps like that… It's always something serious." Crow nodded before he followed Jack to the stairs.

Back in the past, when the trio was children, Yusei had already been a calm and quiet boy, so he rarely got angry. However, when he did get angry, it was always for a good and serious reason.

Jack and Crow went down to the garage, just to stop by the small platform with the couch to watch the scene in front of them. The duo saw Yusei's face was painted with real anger, and that anger was targeted at the unexpected guest that had showed up. Both Crow and Jack felt their eyes widen when they recognized the fourth person in the garage.

A girl in around 18 years old with a very slim figure, caramel skin, long strawberry blonde hair and green eyes that were decorated with long and thick eyelashes by mascara stood there in front of Yusei with a big egoistical smile on her too thickly red lipstick-painted lips. Her nails were painted in pink color as a pair of silver earrings hung in her ears. Her height was around Akiza's, except a few centimeters taller.

Even though it was in the middle of April, she was dressed as if it was summer. She was dressed in an orange dress that was like a tank top and shorts were sewed into one, a very thin and light green jacket with short sleeves, short white socks, brown toeless shoes, and a small dark green bag resting on her right hip as the strap went over her left shoulder.

"Gina…", Jack mumbled with disgust.

Crow just glared at the girl. She was someone the Satellite trio knew very well about.

Gina Franklin used to be a Satellite resident just like them. They had met her shortly after the Enforcers was founded by Kalin. The four members had saved Gina from being robbed by a couple of thieves, but after that she tried hanging around with them as much as she could. Her main target was Yusei since she assumed she fell in love with him when he had smiled at her.

She did try getting his attention in every single way, but Yusei declined the offers at first before he started ignoring her after he realized she was just a fangirl.

But one day, Gina stopped showing up which confused the three other members since it had been like a daily routine for them to ignore her, and it was also around that time when Yusei suddenly shut himself out from the others. Kalin, Crow and Jack never figured out what happened to him since he had been missing for one night until he came back to the HQ next morning. But Yusei had looked so devastated back then.

The now older Gina smiled at Yusei as sweetly as she could, but it was just a fake one. "I just wanted to see you again, Yusei. It's been a while."

"How did you even get the address to this place?" Yusei kept glaring, never falling into Gina's trap. "Who told you?"

"Oh, I just went to Sector Security and asked for the address by telling them your name", Gina replied, clicking lightly with her tongue.

"What do you want?" Yusei hissed through his teeth, trying to maintain his fury. He never realized Jack and Crow were in the garage, seeing and hearing everything.

"Yusei, sweetie, is it a crime for a girlfriend to visit her boyfriend?" Gina asked with a too sweet voice.

Yusei's eyebrow twitched furiously. "We are _not_ and _never_ were a couple! Get it over already!"

"But, Yusei~, what about that night we had? Didn't you enjoy it?"

Both Jack and Crow flinched when they heard that. Was Gina referring to the night when Yusei went missing?

That question seemed to be the last straw because Yusei exploded. "Enjoy it?! I never wanted to do it! You took advantage of me with your filthy and disgusting tricks!"

The pieces were finally settled together in the jigsaw puzzle for Jack and Crow. Their eyes widened in realization when they understood what Yusei meant.

"Yusei…", Crow spoke up, still in slight shock.

Yusei glanced up to see his foster brothers staring at him with big eyes. His furious expression softened a bit until it turned hard and unreadable. He turned to his Duel Runner and picked up the helmet and put it on.

Gina was shocked to see Yusei ignoring her so she walked up to him as he got on his Duel Runner. "Hey! Yusei!" She grabbed on his jacket, but Yusei ripped his arm away from her grip. He sent her a deadly glare as he turned on the engine of the Duel Runner and drove off.

"Yusei!" Gina whined as she watched the red Duel Runner drive away. "Wait for-" She was about to run after him when a hard hand landed on her right shoulder, holding her back.

"Before you leave…", Jack spoke with a very chilly voice which made Gina feel chills down her spine.

The girl looked over her shoulder to see murderous expressions on both Jack and Crow. Their faces were covered by shadows as their eyes shone red with dark aura surrounding them.

"…Care to explain what you meant back then?" Jack finished his sentence.

Gina swallowed nervously. She couldn't remember if she had ever seen Yusei's foster brothers looking like this.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV**

I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't. Why did _she_ have to come back? I thought she got what she wanted after what she did to me. She had never once appeared again after _that_, so why now?!

I felt so upset that my driving ended up a bit wobbly. My inner emotions went to the driving so my Duel Runner represented what I was feeling right now. I had to stop by a parking lot to collect myself.

I took off my helmet and rubbed my forehead with the tip of my fingers, trying to remove an incoming headache with massage. The old memories I wanted to forget came back to me like a river. Pictures, sounds and smells overwhelmed me as if it happened just a few minutes ago.

I didn't know for a second what I should do. I couldn't go back to the garage now. Jack and Crow must have figured it out by now what happened between me and Gina. I didn't want to face their disappointment for keeping it as a secret.

I knew I had to talk to someone about this. But with who? I knew I had Martha as my foster mother and she would understand me, but I didn't feel like she was the right person to talk about this. Akiza had gone through her own misery, so I didn't want to add my burden on her. Leo and Luna were still children and innocent that they didn't understand the dark side of life.

So, that left me with one last person.

I fished up my cell phone from the pocket of my jeans and looked for the cell phone number to the one who could help and listen to me without being prejudice. I had bought a cell phone a couple of weeks ago after collecting enough spare money to buy one for emergencies, in case I didn't have my Duel Runner.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

It was an eventful morning in the daycare. A couple of Crow's adopted "siblings" had stayed over for the weekend with other children. That included Kokoro and Ginga.

Martha, Blister, Mr. Bashford and I made a small breakfast party with lots of delicious food and some decorating. We wanted to give them a warm feeling before they go back home, and they would feel better for going back to school next day.

I wiped the table after breakfast as Martha and Blister took care of the dishes. Mr. Bashford took the children out for some fresh air and take a walk. He said he needed to stretch his legs a bit.

I couldn't help but feel a bit concerned about a couple of things that came on my mind yesterday. It wasn't just about the almost-kiss with Yusei, but also about one certain child and my birthday.

My birthday was soon coming up, but I had suspicious feelings about it. I didn't feel like I had grown older. And one of the things that made me even more concerned was my period. Ever since I came to this dimension, I never had my period once. It's like I had already reached the menopause which didn't feel right. Did the Crimson Dragon trying to make things easier for me while I was in this world, or was there something else behind it?

My other concern was about Belle, the child who I suspected had autism. She hadn't showed up in the daycare for weeks. Last time was like in February, but after that… Nothing. Martha didn't even receive a call that Belle would stop coming to the daycare or any message at all.

When I was done wiping clean the table, I felt my Mark throb a bit painfully. I gripped my arm for a second before the pain calmed down. I placed down the cloth on the table and pulled up my sleeve to see my Mark glowing. But not just my Mark was glowing, the Head Mark was glowing as well, showing me it was something about Yusei. After the Crimson Dragon had given Leo his Mark, the six Marks of the Dragon had been added in my Star Mark permanently to show I had a bond with all six Signers.

I blinked confusedly. What was Yusei feeling so worried and concerned about?

In the next second, I felt my cell phone vibrate in the back pocket of my jeans. I fished up the cell phone, seeing it was Yusei calling with his cell phone number. I accepted the call and held the cell phone against my right ear.

"Hello?"

"_Estelle? Hi…_"

I could tell by his voice something was bothering him.

"Is everything okay?"

"_Not really… I need to clean my mind. Can we meet by the tower where the party was held?_"

I realized he meant the tower where the Premiere WRGP party had been.

"Yes. I'll be there in ten minutes."

"_Okay. I'll see you there._"

And with that, Yusei ended the call.

I looked at the cell phone confusedly. What happened to make Yusei so upset? I couldn't remember if something would happen at this moment.

I let it go and prepared myself to head to the tower. I told Martha where I was going so she and the others knew I wasn't being kidnapped.

I went out to the fresh air and held up a Monster card. "Come out, Genesis Dragon!"

The card in my hand shone before it shot out of the grip and transformed into said Duel Monster in front of me. He let out a small roar before I walked over and rubbed his head gently. He purred by the affection he got before he bent down his body so I could climb on.

"Take me to the conference tower", I told him.

Genesis Dragon nodded before he flapped open his wings and flew up into the air.

The conference tower was the same tower where the WRGP party had been hosted, but on weekdays it was like a conference hall for business people and trading market. On Saturday, only half the day was "corrupted" with meetings, but on Sunday it was open for the public. It even had a small café selling drinks and cakes and such.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

To make sure the people wouldn't freak out by Genesis Dragon, I made him land by the road below the tower where the parking deck was. I got off him and patted his head as thanks. "Thank you, Genesis Dragon."

Genesis Dragon nodded with happy eyes before he turned back to a card. I put away the card in my handbag before I headed to the stairs. While I walked to the stairs, I spotted Yusei's Duel Runner among the vehicles. That was the sign he was already here.

Once I finally made it up to the conference tower, I stepped inside and looked around. People in all ages and forms were talking, having some coffee or just enjoyed watching the view from the tower.

I tried finding Yusei and I did. He was standing outside on the balcony with his back turned to me, so he didn't see I was there. I could tell by his aura something was really bothering him.

I bought two cups of English Earl Grey tea and added two small sugar cubes in each one. I made sure to stir the tea around with a spoon to melt down the sugar. Once I tasted my cup and approved it, I headed outside to Yusei.

Yusei looked up when he saw I was walking over to him. He gave me a tired smile and his eyes didn't shine as they should. "Hey…"

I nodded in greeting before I held up the other cup of tea. "Here." Yusei looked at me confusedly which I just returned with a soft smile. "I know hot tea makes me calm down and relax. Especially the smell of black tea."

Yusei let a small smile reach his lips again before he grabbed the cup. "Thanks. I didn't get to drink my morning tea."

We walked over to a bench and sat down. I blew on my tea, cooling it down before I took another sip. The sweet taste of sugar blended with Earl Grey tea was just the best.

I turned to Yusei and saw he held his cup with both hands that were resting on his lap. His eyes looked also a bit dimmed like he was thinking about something.

"Yusei?" I called gently.

Said person snapped out of his thoughts and turned to me. "Sorry. It's just…" He let out a deep sigh. "…Something from my past came back today. Something…I'm not fond of."

"What was it?" I asked gently.

Yusei let out another sigh, looking down at the cup in his hands. "A girl…"

That was quite a surprise for me. Was he going to talk about an ex-girlfriend that hadn't been in the original anime?

"Gina…", Yusei hissed out the name as venom. "She did…something to me that I try to forget, but…" He stayed quiet for a second. "She just had to come back and try talking as if we were a couple since years back…" His grip on the cup tightened as his arms shook with anger.

I put down my cup to the left before I reached out a hand and put it gently on Yusei's shoulder. His arms stopped shaking by the connection as he looked up at me with now upset eyes. I had never seen Yusei this upset before, except the time when I saw him crying after the Turbo Duel with Dark Kalin during the final day of the Dark Signers.

"What happened?" I asked carefully.

Yusei turned his head down and let out another sigh before looking up at the sky. "It was back in the old days when the Enforcers was founded…"

***FLASHBACK***** – Yusei's POV**

_Crow, Kalin, Jack and I were patrolling Satellite. It was nice weather and everything seemed to be okay… Until we heard the girlish scream._

_"HELP ME, SOMEBODY!"_

_"Uh-oh! That sounds trouble!" Crow commented._

_"Let's go, guys!" Kalin commanded._

_We ran to the source of the voice, finding a girl around our age being attacked by thieves. Supplies were laying spread all over the concrete._

_"Hey!" Jack called, getting the three thieves' attention. "What makes you think you can rob a woman?!"_

_"Yeah, didn't your mamas tell ya not to harm girls, huh?" Crow added._

_The leader of the thieves snorted loudly. "You think you're some kind of heroes? Guys, bust them up!"_

_The two lackeys ran towards us, but Crow and Jack knocked them back just as Kalin ran to the leader. I ran over to the girl who sat on the concrete, shaking in fear. I knelt down in front of her, holding out a hand to her as I put on a gentle smile._

_"Don't worry", I told the girl. "You're safe now."_

_The girl blinked before she calmed down and nodded. She grabbed my hand and I helped her up on her feet. At the same time, the others had finished taking down the thieves. I could hear the running footsteps of the thieves and the yelling of the leader._

_"THIS AIN'T OVER!"_

_"Oh, yes, it is!" Jack retorted._

_"Never mess with the Enforcers, boys, or we'll teach ya a lesson!" Crow added._

_Kalin had picked up the spilled supplies and had it in a bag now. "Are you okay, Miss?"_

_The girl nodded, but her eyes were on me. "Yes… Thank you." She put on a big smile._

***END OF FLASHBACK***

"Her name was Gina Franklin", I told Estelle. "She seemed to okay at first, but then she started visiting us by the HQ every day and several times a day. She always tried offering us food or cookies, but it was especially for me. I refused them all when I realized she was just a fangirl. But…" I gripped the cup in my hands. "One day, she went too far with her obsession."

***FLASHBACK***

_I was on my way to the HQ after patrolling the north area of the Satellite. Everything seemed to be calm for the moment. I was thinking about trying to build my own Duel Runner in the future. I didn't know why, but I felt like I was really good with building and fixing stuff, so a Duel Runner sounded like a real challenge._

_I was so deep in my thoughts I didn't realize someone was following me. The next thing I knew, I felt a hard hit on the back of my head. The smack made me lose consciousness._

_**XXXXXXXXXX**_

_I groaned lightly when I finally woke up. I slowly opened my eyes and met the view of a red ceiling. I tried moving my arms, but I wasn't able to. I turned my head to the left and realized my hands were strapped against the bed posts, just as my feet were tied on the other bed posts._

_I struggled against the binds before I realized my chest was bare. Luckily, I still had my pants on._

_I looked around in the room. It had pink walls that seemed new and the furniture and items made me put two and two together. This was a girl's room!_

_"Hey!" I called. "Is someone here? Let me go!"_

_The door to the bedroom opened. I looked up and saw Gina step up to me with a vicious and delight expression. She was dressed in only a white lace bralette with matching thong. My eyes widened when I figured out her plan._

_"Gina!" I shouted angrily. "Why are you doing this?"_

_Gina just smirked with the delight look as she hid something behind her back. She stepped up to the bed and stood to the right side before she leant down her head to my face. "Because you refused all the love I tried giving you… I'm going to make you accept me willingly."_

_"Wha-", I started when Gina suddenly shoved something into my open mouth. I tried spitting out the thing that tasted like candy, but Gina held my mouth close and forced me to swallow the piece of candy._

_I gagged lightly and tried spitting out saliva with the too sweetly taste. "What was that you just forced me to eat?!"_

_Gina chuckled deeply in delight before she held up a transparent bottle with blue heart-shaped pills in it. "Viagra." My eyes widened in shock. "Soon, your precious part will become willing to accept me."_

_"You're crazy…", I mumbled before I started struggling against the binds. "Let me go, Gina! You're out of your mind!"_

_"No", Gina popped the O with her tongue and put the bottle with Viagra on a nightstand before crawling on top of me. She forced her lips on mine and tried pushing her tongue into my mouth._

_I struggled against the lips and made sure to never open my mouth for her. I didn't want any of this, but I could feel the effect of Viagra taking a tool on my body._

_Gina must have noticed it because she smirked and crawled down to my abdomen. "Mmm? Looks like someone's eager." She rubbed her backside on my sensitive part, making me try to hold back moans._

_I suddenly felt something inside me that was new. Fear. I didn't want to do this. I didn't feel ready for such intimate moment, and I definitely didn't want to do it with a crazy girl like Gina._

_"S-Stop…", I grunted through my teeth._

_"No", Gina whispered in my ear before she started stripping herself off her the bralette and the thong._

_The view was not enjoyable, so I started panicking when Gina started unzipping my pants. "W-Wait!" I called._

_"No", Gina replied simply and pulled down both my pants and boxers, revealing my unwilling erected part. "I will not wait."_

_The next thing I felt was hot pain as she sat down on me. I screamed out in pain and somehow lost consciousness again._

***END OF FLASHBACK***** – Estelle's POV**

I stared at Yusei in disbelief while being lost at words. I had first imagined something like a terrible break-up with a girlfriend, but I had never thought something like that happened to him.

Yusei…got _raped_ in the past.

Yusei let out a deep sigh through his nose and looked up at the sky. "When I woke up again, I was all alone in Gina's bedroom. There were no signs of her, but I could see the evidence of the action on me. The binds must have loosened while she…took advantage of me, because I could finally move. I tried my best to wipe off the…evidence before I got dressed and headed back to the HQ. Jack, Crow and Kalin were all worried about me since I didn't come home last night, but I ignored them." He placed the now empty cup of tea to his right before intertwining his hands that rested on his lap. "I couldn't tell them what happened to me. I…didn't want them to look disappointingly at me."

I didn't know what I could do to comfort Yusei, but one thing came in mind. I wrapped my right arm around his shoulders and made him lean against my shoulder. I rubbed gently his right shoulder where my hand rested, as if to help him lift the sadness off him.

"I'm sorry to hear about what happened to you", I whispered honestly. "But… The guys were your brothers. They would understand what happened if you just talked to them."

"I know…", Yusei nodded against my shoulder. "But…"

"You were afraid", I concluded. "You were afraid they would be disgusted with you and not understand what you went through."

Yusei was quiet for a second before he nodded again. "Yeah…"

I got a serious face and released him from my hold to make him look at me. "Yusei. None of them would think you did that willingly. They would understand if you just talked to them. Don't keep everything inside you." I pointed at his chest where his heart was. "Don't keep all your burden alone. Let Crow and Jack take away part of your burden. Let them help you, whether being personal issues or Duel Runner or whatever that is bothering you."

Yusei looked away, thinking about what I just told him. I turned to the left, sensing two people hiding. "You can come out now, Jack and Crow", I called.

"Huh?" Yusei exclaimed as he looked up.

The two figures of Jack and Crow stepped outside to the balcony. Crow was rubbing the back of his head nervously while Jack had his arms crossed with a stern expression.

"How'd you know we were hiding here?" Crow asked.

"The bond", I replied which made Crow even more confused. "The bond between our Marks. I can sense your emotions and your presences."

"Ah", Crow let out in realization.

Yusei looked nervous, but I pushed him lightly on his shoulder. He turned to me with a nervous look, but I just gave him a smile. "Go…", I whispered.

The man next to me nodded before he stood up and walked over to Jack and Crow. "How much…did you hear?"

Jack unfolded his arms and let out a deep sigh. "Only the end when you said you were afraid to tell us the truth."

"After you left, Yusei, Jack and I held back Gina and made her spit out what she did to you", Crow said. "What she did was disgusting and just so low. We know you would never sleep with a girl you didn't like. Heck, with no one at all, except maybe the girl you like-"

Jack hit him the back of his head to stop the Blackwing Duelist from talking. "Yusei, we would never look down on you because of something you did unwillingly. I'd gladly have chased after Gina and teach her a lesson to never try hurting my little brother!"

Since Yusei's back was turned to me, I couldn't see his facial expression, but I could tell by his voice how he was getting relieved for seeing his foster brothers being so understanding. "You guys…", he mumbled.

"Don't keep everything inside, Yusei!" Crow said. "Let us help you by taking off part of your burden with either the engine prototype or your work or whatever you need an extra hand with!"

I knew my job here was done, so I grabbed the two empty tea cups and headed inside the tower through another open door so I didn't walk past the trio. I left the cups by a table and headed to the stairs. I looked up to see the guys looking a bit happier and Yusei seemed to be relaxed. I felt a smile grow on my lips before I walked downstairs. While doing that, I typed a small message to Yusei's Duel Runner.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Yusei, Jack and Crow had finally resolved the situation with the black-haired man's secret and shared fist bumps as they did during their childhood to prove their brotherhood was still strong, or maybe even stronger now.

Yusei had noticed Estelle had left them, but he wasn't worried. He rather felt thankful for talking about his burden with her and now his foster brothers.

The trio went down to the parking deck where their Duel Runners were waiting. Yusei put on his helmet and turned on the Duel Runner to not only start the engine but also receiving a text message.

Yusei saw it came from Estelle, so he opened the message.

_Remember, Yusei, you are never alone. Share your troubles and burden with your family. Your friends are always there for you._

Yusei smiled at the message and quickly typed a reply.

_Thank you._

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**It was my first time writing such a dark scene, but I think it came out okay. That scene between Yusei and Gina can happen to anyone, both men and women alike. This shows how people can be so forceful when they want something, but the partner doesn't want it. It is reality; not just some kind of story you've heard from other people. This is real life.**

**Now that I've reached the fiftieth chapter of this fanfic, I'm taking a temporary break. I want to go through all the chapters and correct minor errors or maybe even change a few scenes. So the story will be active again when I'll post the fifty-first chapter, when the event of "Bonds Beyond Time" will finally begin!**

**In the meanwhile, please read and enjoy my other stories. :)**

**Oh, and I also figured out the perfect shipping name for Estelle and Akiza; Rosecareshipping! What do you think?**


	51. Bonds Beyond Time – Part 1

**Hello, everyone! Sorry for letting you wait for the next chapter of this fanfic! I've went through all the 50 chapters and made sure I didn't miss a single little error. If I did, then sorry! No one is perfect!**

**I also noticed something amazing; this fanfic had more than fifty thousand views after the fiftieth chapter! This is incredible! Thank you all for reading, enjoying, reviewing and following this fanfic! I'm so happy to see you like the "The Crimson Star Priestess"!**

**I know "Bonds Beyond Time" takes place after Bruno got introduced to Yusei, Jack and Crow, but he barely had any appearance in the movie. So that's why the movie part takes place ****BEFORE**** Bruno's appearance in my fanfic.**

**Oh, and prepare to see several new and old OCs of mine. Two of them are inspired/based on two old bullies from my childhood. The third one is going to be an OC for a (maybe) future YGO GX fanfic, and the four remaining are the twins from my "Bearers of the Millennium Earrings" fanfic and the spirits Amaura and Mako.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 51: Bonds Beyond Time – Part 1**

I woke up early this morning. It was last day when Yusei told me about his past with that Gina girl…taking advantage of him. I still couldn't believe something like that happened to him. But this was a different reality. It also showed how dark and cruel life could be.

After I did my morning exercise, I ate some breakfast when I felt my Star Mark aching. I pulled up the sleeve of my shirt to see the Head Mark, the Tail Mark and the Wing Mark were glowing along with the pentagram Mark.

Something was up, and I had a hunch what it could be.

I apologized to Martha, saying I had to go, before I rushed out of the house with my jacket on. I reached into the pocket of the jacket and pulled out Star Eater's card.

"Come forth, Star Eater!"

The card slipped out of my fingers and formed into said Synchro Monster. He roared a bit before I jumped onto his neck. He flapped his wings and brought us higher up to the sky.

The sky was grey with clouds and I could smell the thin scent of rain. It felt like it was the calm before the storm, if my hunch was correct.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Star Eater and I found the trio on a Turbo Dueling course. Yusei was Turbo Dueling that blonde man who came from the future… What was his name again?

Paradox!

Yusei had just Synchro summoned Stardust Dragon which made me panic.

"No!" I yelled from above. "Not Stardust Dragon, Yusei!"

Yusei looked up at me, looking really confused. "What? Why?!"

Paradox, who had a mask on, drew out a blank card. In less than a second, the card released some kind of beam that looked like a domino-parade of Duel Monsters cards that hit Stardust Dragon. The dragon was surrounded by a transparent sphere as he cried for help. The cards surrounded him as he turned into small particles that went into Paradox blank card. Except the blank card now had a picture of Stardust Dragon!

"Am I seeing things? Stardust Dragon…! It's…", Jack began.

"It's gone! And stolen!" Crow exclaimed.

"But how could that be?!" Yusei questioned.

Paradox laughed amusedly. "Many great things are possible, Yusei!" He drew out another blank card and pointed it towards me and Star Eater.

"Star Eater! Let's get out of here!" I told my dragon quickly.

"_**Right!**_" Star Eater nodded and flew away.

"I don't think so!" Paradox called behind us.

After that, I felt a beam hit us from behind. The light around me nearly blinded me as I felt Star Eater disappear below me. I felt myself fall from the sky when Star Eater disappeared. I looked over my shoulder, seeing I was falling towards the Turbo Dueling course. I had to call out another Monster or I would get a very painful fall.

"Tiger Dra-"

But before I could finish calling out Tiger Dragon, two shadowy and fast figures appeared out of nowhere above me and they both kicked me hard on my abdomen. The heels of their boots dug into my skin as I coughed out blood by the force.

The next thing I knew, I had crashed onto the Turbo Dueling course and pain ached through my body. Luckily, I was still conscious, so I could see how Paradox jumped above the crater where I laid. I could barely hear a thing since my ears were still ringing after the crash, but I could tell Paradox had left this era.

I slowly pulled myself up with my arms while feeling my abdomen ache harder than my body. The ringing in my ears calmed down just when Yusei appeared next to me, his helmet still on. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

I shook my head. "Not really…" I dug my hand into the pocket of the jacket and pulled out Star Eater's card…

To see his image was no longer there.

This didn't feel right. Paradox wanted to only get Stardust Dragon in this era. So why did he steal my Star Eater as well? It didn't make sense.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The four of us were now in the garage. Crow handed me an ice bag so I could smooth my sore abdomen, but we were all stunned. Even I, since I didn't expect Paradox stealing Star Eater. And who were those two shadows that attacked me?

I could tell by their figures that they had both been females, and something about them felt strangely familiar.

"Can someone tell me what just happened?" Jack broke the silence.

"I would, but I don't know myself", Crow was still a bit shocked about the Turbo Duel.

"I still can't believe he took Stardust…", Yusei mumbled as he looked concerned.

"Why did that maniac take him? That's what I'd like to know", Jack said before he turned to me. "Estelle." I looked up from my own pondering. "Did something like this happen in the anime version of our universe in your dimension?"

I nodded, "Yes." The trio turned to me, expecting answers. "I remember reading about a movie they made, but I never watched it, and the villain in the movie was the same man who took Stardust Dragon…" I used my free hand to hold up Star Eater's empty card. "…And Star Eater. What I don't get is why he took my dragon as well. He was only supposed to take Stardust."

"Well, what was that guy's goal about?" Crow asked.

I remained silent. I didn't want to tell more or else the chain of event would break. I guess the guys understood my silent answer since none of them pushed me to answer. Heck, even Crow held himself back, but I could see he looked like he was ready to explode with lots of questions.

The sound of a door opening grabbed our attention. We looked up and saw Akiza and the twins step inside, Luna holding something in her hands.

"What's up, guys?" Akiza asked before her eyes landed on me and the ice bag in my hand. "What happened, Estelle?"

"I got kicked by two girls", I replied. "They wore boots with heels and that nearly pierced my stomach."

"What?!" Akiza exclaimed in shock.

"Ouch, that must have hurt", Leo grimaced.

"Look, no offence, but this really isn't the best time for a social party", Jack said calmly.

"Jack", I glared lightly at him. "They're part of the group. And I think they have something they need to show us."

Luna nodded, "Yeah… Leo and I were searching the web, researching Duel Monsters history when we saw this." She handed the device in her hand over to Yusei.

The raven-haired Signer took the strange device and turned it on. It turned out to be some kind of a holographic screen that seemed to have the same functions as an iPad or an iPhone in my world.

The screen showed us an article about a tournament in Yugi Mutou's era, and pictures of the tournament. The biggest picture showed Pegasus holding a thumbs up at the camera while Yugi Mutou held a trophy in his hands with a bright smile on his lips, shaking hands with Pegasus. Solomon, Yugi's grandfather, stood in the background, crying happy tears that his grandson had won.

"Hey, I recognize that guy!" Crow exclaimed.

"I should hope so", Jack commented. "That's Maximillion Pegasus, the chairman of Industrial Illusions. He's the creator of Duel Monsters."

"And look who's next to him!" Crow added.

"Yugi Mutou", Yusei said. "The King of Games himself. They say he's the best Duelist to have ever picked up a Deck."

I knew that Yugi often got help by the Millennium Puzzle's spirit, Yami Yugi, to win tough Duels, but Yugi learned to Duel and become even stronger by himself.

"Doesn't look so tough to me", Jack snorted. "Of course, I could in that day with that haircut. Still, even I admit, he's a Dueling Legend. What I would give to see Yugi in action way back in his day."

"This is what you wanted to show us?" Yusei asked the twins.

"No. Scroll over to the next page", Akiza replied, looking very serious.

Yusei scrolled…and we all lost our breaths when we saw three… No, five Duel Monsters dragons on a picture that showed destruction. I couldn't really remember the names of the three unknown dragons to me, but I knew they were connected to Cyber Dragon and Rainbow Dragon. The third was something with Hyo-, but the two remaining dragons were Stardust Dragon and Star Eater!

"Wait! Stardust Dragon and Star Eater?!" Yusei exclaimed.

"But those cards didn't exist back then!" Jack pointed out.

"Exactly our point!" Leo said with a duh voice.

"Look!" Crow pointed at the article next to the picture. "The article says that all sorts of dragons appeared one day and like blasted almost all of Europe!"

"But I don't remember ever hearing about this", Yusei said. "And this is a major historical event!"

"That's just it! This is new history", Akiza said. "Somehow the past has changed."

I noticed something in the background. I dropped the ice bag and stood next to Yusei. "Let me." I clicked lightly on the picture to zoom in…and found the three figures of Paradox and the two women from before!

"It's that Duelist from before!" Yusei exclaimed.

"And the two women that attacked me", I said, taking a closer look at them.

They both had the same too revealing outfit with devil wings on their backs, but they still had different skin color and hair. The one to Paradox's left had a slight yellow/brown skin color and slight dark brown hair that looked like it was black. The other woman who stood to Paradox's right had pale skin, not as pale as mine, and long straight blonde hair.

Something was ticking in my head. These two women looked way too familiar to me now…

"Could they be…?" I mumbled out loud.

"You know those women, Estelle?" Yusei asked.

"They…look like the adult versions of two bullies from my past", I replied.

It was then we heard some kind of rumble outdoors. I looked up at the windows, seeing the sky had turned black and rubbles were floating around.

"What's going on outside?" Akiza wondered.

We rushed out fast from the garage to see a dreadful sight. The buildings were crumbling down and disappearing as the dark clouds turned even darker.

"I don't like the looks of this, guys!" Jack commented.

"If you change the past, you'll change the future…", I mumbled before gasping. "The events in the past! Paradox is rewriting the history with the dragons we saw on the picture!"

"What the masked man said was true!" Yusei exclaimed. "Our era… Our appearance in time… It's meeting its end!"

"And that's why we must go and fix the past!" I said in determination.

"And how do we do that, genius?!" Crow retorted. "We don't exactly have a time machine here!"

My Star Mark started glowing which got everyone's attention. Soon the Signers' Marks glowed as well to let the Dragon Seal appear on Yusei's back with my Star Mark in the middle of it and Leo's Mark being in the Hand Mark.

"It's the Mark of the Crimson Dragon, now with Leo and Estelle's Marks too!" Akiza exclaimed.

Leo pointed at the Duel Runners that were parked outside of Zora's clock shop. "And look! It's power-surging Yusei's Duel Runner too!"

I grabbed Yusei's hand, getting his attention. "Let's go."

Yusei got the message and nodded. We ran over to his Duel Runner as the others cried our names.

"Get as many citizens as you can to safety!" I told them. "Don't try to do anything with your powers to stop the destruction!"

"Okay!" the group called.

Yusei put on his helmet before he sat down first and I joined him, wrapping my arms around his waist from behind. He revved the engine and drove off. The Dragon Seal on his back was still glowing just as the Crimson Dragon appeared above us.

"I don't know where you're taking us, but if it's somewhere that will give us a chance to stop this, lead the way!" Yusei told the mighty God.

The Crimson Dragon roared in reply.

"You okay, Estelle?" Yusei asked me.

I nodded, "I'm just fine. As you always say…" I hugged him a bit tighter around his abdomen, but not too tight. "…Let's rev it up."

Yusei nodded and accelerated. The power of the Crimson Dragon made Yusei's Duel Runner go even faster until a bright yellow light surrounded us. I could feel the Crimson Dragon's power as he took us to the past.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Clara's POV**

Jaden and I were supposed to have a peaceful vacation in Venice before we would continue our journey and a small task, but it had to get ruined by a weird masked man who stole one of my precious Duel Monsters card thanks to two assistants of his.

Both my boyfriend and I were still wearing our old school uniforms from the time in Duel Academy; Jaden with his Slifer Red uniform and me with my Ra Yellow uniform. I always added black shorts under the skirt so I could move more comfortably, like now when we were under attack by the dragons.

The masked man summoned Cyber End Dragon and Rainbow Dragon to attack me and my boyfriend before he summoned out my Hyozanryu as well. My dragon didn't recognize me since he was under that man's control.

Jaden and I had been able to protect ourselves for a while, thanks to our special powers, before we got corned by the masked man and the dragons. Jaden had summoned Elemental HERO Neos while I summoned Defender, the Magical Knight to protect us from an impact, and after that the masked man summoned two unknown dragons that neither of us recognized.

"Those are some dragons!" Jaden said impressed when he saw the two unknown dragons. "Know where I can score one?"

"Jaden Yuki. Calm, cool and collected to the very end", the masked man chuckled. "Now, perish with your girlfriend!"

The two weird dragons sent two beams towards us, but Neos and Defender jumped in to protect us. Our Duel Monsters were struggling against the two powerful beams as Jaden and I got pushed back by the wind around us.

"Neos!" Jaden called as he grabbed me before we got pushed back together into a building.

I could feel my whole body was sore, but thankfully we were still alive. Neos and Defender looked pretty worn after the double-attack.

"Finish them!" the masked man ordered as the two women next to him chuckled.

The two dragons were about to attack us again, and probably kill us, before a big and long red dragon shielded us in time. I could sense a great force coming from the dragon that looked like it was made out of magma.

"What's this?!" the masked man questioned.

Jaden helped me up on my legs. "You okay, babe?"

I nodded, "Yeah…"

The magma dragon dissipated to reveal a strange red motorcycle. A couple was sitting on it. The driver was a boy around our age and the girl who had her arms wrapped around his waist looked to be a few years older than us with long and wavy chestnut-brown hair.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

Yusei and I made it to the scene of destruction when we saw all the five dragons flying in the air. Stardust Dragon and Star Eater were among them.

"Yusei! And the Crimson Star Priestess! How'd you follow me back in time, I do not know", Paradox exclaimed. "But I do know it changes nothing for you and Jaden! If you don't perish by my hand, the hands of time will do the win."

"Hands of what?" I heard Jaden exclaim in the background.

Paradox laughed before he turned around with the two women and walked away. Yusei called after them, but only to find Paradox drive with his Duel Runner from the top of a building, with the two women sitting on the Duel Runner. The next second, the Duel Runner disappeared in a white light along with the dragons.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The fire of the destruction had burnt out and left behind a half-destroyed Venice with scars from the battle. Yusei and I were on the top of a building while Jaden and this unknown girl sat and treated their wounds. I couldn't help but feel the girl with long straight black hair with magenta shade or highlights, and blue eyes looked so familiar. Was she an OC I once saw in my dimension? No, that couldn't be. Or… What if she was someone's creation like Laila or Sora from Yusei's era? They weren't characters from the official anime, and I came from another dimension, so anything was possible.

"Ehh… Yusei and Estelle, right? Any chance you can tell us what's going on? Or better yet, who that masked dude was?" Jaden spoke up after the girl finished treating his wounds.

Something told me they were more than just friends. I could see the affections between them.

"I wish I knew", Yusei said before he turned to me. "But you seem to know about him, Estelle."

"Only a little", I replied before I turned my attention to the couple. "Are you sure you two are okay? You took quite a hit there."

"We're fine, thank you", the girl smiled. "Jaden and I've been through a lot worse than this."

I arched an eyebrow. I didn't watch the GX season because I had read and heard from other people online how that season sucked.

"You're tough kids", Yusei told the duo. "Jaden; that's what he called you, right?"

"Yep, that's my name", Jaden replied. "And Dueling's my game! Of course, it didn't seem like much of a game with that guy!" He turned to the two-toned haired girl next to him. "And this is my girlfriend!" He grinned brightly at her.

The girl blushed a bit before she looked up at me and Yusei. "I'm Clara. Jaden and I've been together for quite some time now."

Jaden looked down at Yusei's Duel Runner. "That's quite a ride you got there! Looks like something out of the future!"

"It is", Yusei replied.

"It is?!" Jaden and Clara exclaimed simultaneously.

"What do you mean it is?" Jaden wondered.

"_He means as he said, Jaden and Clara_", I heard an unknown voice.

I looked up and saw the spirit of a skinny man with long black hair and glasses. A real cat stood next to him. From what I remembered, the man used to be Jaden's teacher at the Duel Academy and the cat was his pet. The other spirit was that Duel Monster Yubel. I still didn't know if Yubel was a male or a female, but Yubel sounded like a female.

"_Yusei is from another time_", the man continued.

"Another time?" Jaden snorted. "Ha, quit messing with us! Besides, how would you guys know?"

"_We know because like you, Yusei has a gift_", Yubel explained.

"_A gift that connects him to the world of Duel Monsters spirits_", the man added.

Yusei pulled off his glove and then pulled up the sleeve of his jacket to show the couple his Mark of the Dragon. "I think they mean this Mark."

I also pulled up my sleeve to show my Star Mark. "And I've also got a Mark."

"_And the woman next to him has also a gift, but stronger than yours and Yusei's, Jaden and Clara_", Yubel continued.

"_And her aura tells us she's an extraterrestrial person_", the man said.

"Extraterrestrial?" Clara blinked confusedly. "Banner, she doesn't look like an alien."

"_But she is more than meets the eye, my Queen_", Yubel retorted. "_You will see in due time._"

"Well, then it looks like you and us have something new in common, don't we?" Jaden commented after Banner and Yubel finished their speech.

"Yes, Jaden", Yusei nodded before putting back on his glove. "Now, tell us how this all got started with you and Clara and the masked man."

Jaden and Clara stood up while I pulled down my sleeve. They looked at the destruction before Jaden began explaining.

"Well, some old classmates of mine and Clara's kept reporting that their Duel cards were getting snatched, including Clara's Hyozanryu", the boy said. "We went looking for the thief, and found you-know-who."

I could see how Jaden was upset about it, but he calmed down when Clara held his right hand. Jaden smiled lightly at his girlfriend with warm eyes.

"Listen, Jaden and Clara", Yusei said, getting the couple's attention. "I know we just met, but believe me, we need to stop this man! Because if we don't, life as you know it… Well, won't be as you know it! My time, your time! It will all change! And trust me, it's not a change for the better!"

"Hold up!" Jaden interrupted Yusei. "Are you asking me and Clara to team up with you and your girlfriend to take this dude down?!"

I blushed when Jaden assumed Yusei and I were a couple. "Yes, and we're _not_ a couple!" I corrected him.

"Aww…! That's too bad", Clara giggled in the background.

"Clara!" I exclaimed, embarrassed by this boyfriend/girlfriend thing.

Jaden laughed at my actions as I pouted lightly. I crossed my arms and shyly looked at Yusei. I blinked when I saw he was blushing too. Why was he doing it? Was he also embarrassed by the thought of me being his girlfriend?

"But how are we gonna take the masked dude down, if he's not even here?" Jaden pointed out, getting all our attention. "I mean, the dude's splint!"

"He's on his way to Yugi Mutou's era", I told the group.

Clara gasped lightly in the background which I noticed. Maybe she knew Yugi?

"And he's going to change the history and alters the future forever, meaning your and our era and beyond", I added.

"Whoa, whoa! What do you mean change the history and alters the future? History hasn't changed!" Jaden said.

Clara opened Jaden's duffle bag and pulled put a laptop. "Here."

"Thanks, babe", Jaden kissed her cheek before he sat down on his knees and opened the laptop. "Here! I'll show ya!" We sat or stood behind Jaden, including the spirits, as Jaden typed on the laptop. "Let me check the Domino City's database for a newspaper article that will prove to you that history has…" A big article appeared on the screen, revealing a destroyed Domino City. "…Completely changed! And not for the better! Why's this guy doing all of this?"

"I don't know, but he's doing it as we speak", Yusei said.

"No way!" Jaden drew out a card that was his Elemental HERO Neos. "Well, as long as I got-" It was then the Duel Monster disappeared from the card. "Neos is gone!"

Clara drew out her Defender, the Magical Knight just to see the image of said Duel Monster vanishing. "Defender too! What's going on?"

A rumble erupted around us, like an earthquake. Buildings and streets were slowly turning into falling debris as the sky turned into black with grey clouds. It was like the whole scene from New Domino City again.

"The destruction is starting here too!" Yusei exclaimed. "Your era and time is crumbling away! First your Duel Monsters cards, now everything else!"

The big tower by the square fell down and caused dust to surround us for a second.

"So what're we supposed to do now?" Jaden asked.

"We need to go to Yugi Mutou's era and stop the destruction, that's what we're supposed to do", I told the team. "Yusei. You and Jaden take the Duel Runner. Clara, you're coming with me!"

"But there's only one bike here! How're you girls supposed to come with us?!" Jaden asked, his voice now trembling a bit terrified.

"Just come!" Yusei grabbed Jaden's hand and dragged him down from the roof.

I pulled out my Deck from the pocket of my jacket and went through all the cards to see if I had any Duel Monsters that came from Yugi's era. Ancient Dragon was the only Monster card I had whose image hadn't disappeared.

"Ancient Dragon!" I called, holding up the card.

The card started glowing in bright light before the card slipped out from my grip and formed into Ancient Dragon.

"Wow…", Clara mumbled behind me.

"Ancient Dragon, can you let me and Clara ride on your back while we time travel?" I asked the dragon.

"_**Certainly**_", Ancient Dragon nodded.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Aurora's POV**

Today was a tournament in town, but it wasn't any other tournaments. It was the Domino Duel Tournament, sponsored by Pegasus himself who was going to show up quite soon since the hosts began attending the stage and fireworks exploded in the sky above us. The tournament was going to begin at 12 PM and it was just five minutes left. There were even a few people who cosplayed their favorite Duel Monsters. I spotted a Dark Magician Girl, a Dark Magician and a Harpie Lady cosplayers among the crowd.

My twin brother Joakim and I had met up with Yugi and Solomon to attend the tournament, so my brother, Yugi and I had brought our Duel Disks along. Yugi was, as always, dressed in Domino High School's boy school uniform and had his Millennium Puzzle. Joakim was dressed in a white shirt with a blue sleeveless hoodie with pockets, black jeans and brown shoes. I was dressed in a lavender dress that reached to my knees with a white bolero, white stretch tights, and black shoes. As always, Joakim and I were wearing our Millennium Earrings and had our hairs tied up into ponytails. We never left the earrings behind. Just like Yugi with his Millennium Puzzle, we always carried them around because we had the connections to the Millennium Items' spirits.

"It's such a beautiful day", Joakim said as he stretched his arms. "A perfect day for a tournament!"

"Well, we wouldn't want it raining now, do we?" I replied before giggling a bit.

"It certainly is a good turn-out", Solomon commented.

"And it's no wonder why. The rumors is Pegasus himself is gonna be here today", Yugi added.

Joakim eyed me for a second before his eyes went to Yugi, then the eyes returned to me. He looked like he was close to discover something.

"You two!" he exclaimed, pointing at me and Yugi.

"Huh?" we said simultaneously.

"Stand next to each other", Joakim told us.

Yugi and I looked at each other before we stood next to each other. Joakim walked up to us and seemed to measure something before his eyes widened in shock. "Holy moly! Yugi, you've grown again!"

I turned to face Yugi and realized the same thing. He was almost close to my height, and I was around 175 cm. Yugi was probably by 170 cm now.

Solomon chuckled, "Just like when I got a sudden growth when I was your age, Yugi. I did start growing around my second year in high school too."

"We've gotta celebrate it with red rice after the tournament!" Joakim demanded.

"Red rice?" I arched an eyebrow. "Kim, it's not like Yugi and I are dating-"

"Not yet, my dear. It's just a matter of time before Yugi comes out of the box", Solomon teased before chuckling.

"Grandpa!" Yugi exclaimed with red cheeks.

I even heard Amaura, Mako and Yami chuckle in the background. This was a bit embarrassing, but I wouldn't mind if I ended up being Yugi's girlfriend one day. I mean… I did have feelings for him, but I wasn't sure if it was worth to confess to him. After all, I didn't know if my feelings for Yugi were actually Amaura's affections to Yami.

The sound of a helicopter echoed in the square and made us all look up. We saw a chopper landing while the hosts introduced Pegasus. Said man came out from the chopper after the introduction.

The crowd exploded into cheers and claps as Pegasus flipped his hair and grabbed a microphone. "Greetings, Duel-fans! It's wonderful to see you, but I'm sure not nearly as wonderful as it is for you to see me, so please enjoy my splendor!"

Joakim, Yugi, Solomon and I just laughed at Pegasus's comment. Now when he wasn't an enemy, he was surely a nice and humorous man.

The clock in the square hit 12 just as big shadows blocked the sun. We all looked up and saw Duel Monsters dragon fly in the air. I recognized two of them; Cyber End Dragon and Hyozanryu, but I had no idea what the other remaining dragons were.

"Man, those dragons look so real, even if they are just holograms!" Joakim said impressed.

Mako's spirit appeared to his right. "_No, Joakim. They are _not_ holograms._"

Amaura's spirit appeared to my left. "_A great evil force is here and his power's making them becoming real Duel Monsters!_"

"Real Duel Monsters?!" Yugi exclaimed. "But I thought only you and Aura could make them real, Amaura!"

The dragons began attacking the buildings and the square. People were now screaming in terror and ran away as fast as they could. Sadly, Yugi and I got separated from Solomon and Joakim when the crowd moved around.

The dragons attacked every high building and made them crumble. People got buried by the fallen buildings around me and Yugi.

"Get down!" Yugi called as he pushed me down on the ground and covered me with his body.

I gripped Yugi's jacket as the bombarding noise of the buildings filled my ears. People's screaming came to an end and the last voice I heard screaming was Pegasus's.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I didn't know for how long Yugi and I've been unconscious, but we both woke up by the sound of dragon roars. Yugi moved from my back to let me get up on my knees. We looked around and saw the horrible destruction. The once beautiful and eventful square had turned into Ground Zero. Yugi and I were the only ones alive, and there were no signs of other people.

"You okay, Aura?" Yugi asked me worriedly.

I nodded lightly. "Kinda…"

We helped each other up on our legs to see if there was anyone nearby, or even the military. But no, not even the police, the fire trucks or the ambulances were here. We were all alone with the five dragons conquering the sky.

"Grandpa!" Yugi called.

"Joakim! Can you hear me?!" I shouted.

Yugi gasped which made me turn to him. He rushed up ahead and I followed him. It was then I saw what he had discovered.

Solomon's bandana!

Yugi collapsed on his knees as he grabbed the now worn bandana in his hands. His shoulders shook as tears ran down his face. "No… Grandpa… He's…" He tried holding back a roar, but he couldn't do it. "NOOOOO!"

I felt my own tears collecting in my eyes when the dreadful thought of Solomon being dead hit me. W-What if Joakim was dead too?!

"A-Amaura…", my voice shook as I let the tears run down my cheeks. "C-Can you s-sense Mako…?"

Since Amaura and Mako were twins as well and shared the Millennium Earrings, they had a strong connection that they could sense each other and feel if they were safe or in trouble.

"_No… I'm sorry, but… I can't sense him…_", Amaura replied, biting her lower lip to hold back her tears.

A loud sob escaped my throat before I collapsed on my knees and covered my face with my hands as I cried. I once lost my father… I couldn't bear to lose someone again, especially my twin brother.

I felt Yugi's hand land on my back before I threw myself on his chest. We hugged each other as we let our sorrow and tears run down our cheeks like waterfalls.

An evil laugh filled the silence which made us look up on top of a building that didn't collapse. A man with a mask on his face stood there with two women who looked like they were cosplaying. But I could sense evil power from them, so I guessed those way too revealing clothes were their armor.

"At last, my work is complete!" the masked man exclaimed. "It took some doing, but history is now forever changed! Changed, so that Duel Monsters is no more!"

I didn't understand what the masked man meant by that, but Yugi and my attention turned to a sudden crimson light that appeared in front of us. A strange dragon made out of fire came out from the light and…swallowed us!

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Red rice is something you eat for celebrating someone reaching the state of having a relationship, or something radical. I've seen that in other manga books, so that's my speculation. If I'm wrong, then please tell me.**

**You can find Clara's appearance on my DeviantArt account. And the two women with Paradox will be revealed in the next chapter, along with their looks on the DA. Don't miss that!**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Laila Noble belongs to **_**Springflowerangel**_**.**

**Sora Sakamoto belongs to **_**Akane Raikou**_**.**


	52. Bonds Beyond Time – Part 2

**Second part! I won't write the Duel between the three protagonists and Paradox. There will be an event where the girls will get their time to shine. You'll see what I mean. ;)**

**By the way, would you guys like to read a one-shot of Jaden and Clara that could add the reason why they were in Venice in the first place? Hint: M-rating content.**

**The chapter begins in Aurora's POV.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 52: Bonds Beyond Time – Part 2**

The next thing Yugi and I knew, we got thrown on top of a building with a bright sky above us and a motorcycle and a dragon coming out from the fire dragon. I rubbed the back of my head and sat up to see two boys and two girls, one of them looking a bit older, walk up to us.

"You two okay?" the boy with brown and orange hair asked.

"It's okay, Yugi. You're safe now", the boy with raven hair and golden streaks told us.

"Where are we?" Yugi asked before looking down. "Is my grandpa okay? Where's Pegasus?"

I followed his action and looked down to see the square was pretty and colorful as before the destruction. I spotted the square clock and saw something that shocked me. The time was 11:25!

"Wait… Did we move back in time?" I asked.

"You did", the woman with brown hair and glasses nodded.

The other dragon that the girls had been riding on was gone, just like the fire dragon that had nearly eaten me and Yugi.

"So, it wasn't a dream?" Yugi mumbled next to me.

"I'm afraid not", the girl with long raven hair and magenta shade/highlights said.

I couldn't help but feel this girl looked familiar to me. She somehow had a face that was similar to mine and her eyes too.

"Here's the deal, bro", the boy with two-toned hair began. "It's not about where you are but _when_."

"We've taken you back in time", the other boy told us. "Back to just before those dragons blasted this place."

"That explains the clock…", I mumbled.

But also a huge relief showered over me when I realized my twin brother Joakim wasn't dead. Although the question was; where could he be? Still at home, but… I was also supposed to be at home at this time, preparing myself for the tournament. Or… Did that mighty fire dragon alter time and space so it wouldn't look suspicious that I was here now?

The two-toned boy pulled out a card to check something before a smile appeared on his lips. "Look! Neos is back!"

The girl with raven hair took out a card herself and let out a sigh of relief. "Defender too. Thank goodness."

"Who are you guys?" Yugi asked.

"My name is Yusei Fudo", the boy with raven hair and golden streaks introduced himself.

"I'm Estelle Malmström", the brunette with glasses nodded, standing behind Yusei.

"And I'm Jaden Yuki!" the two-toned haired boy pointed at himself with a thumb.

"I'm Clara…", the other girl with raven hair and magenta shade mumbled, looking away.

Jaden looked at her with questioning eyes. "Hey, Clara, your last name too!"

Clara held a finger against her lips and hushed him. She pointed at both me and Yugi before she shook her head. Jaden didn't get it at first, but then his eyes widened in realization and nodded. What was that about?

"Yusei, Jaden…", Yugi began.

"…Estelle and Clara", I finished.

"I'm Yugi Mutou", Yugi introduced himself.

"And I'm Aurora Ueda Pax", I told the group my name.

"Oh, there's no need to tell us who you are", Yusei told us. "We know."

"You do? How's that?" Yugi asked.

"'Cause we're from the future", Jaden replied simply. "It's no big whoop."

"What?" Yugi's eyes widened in surprise.

"Well, I guess it's kind of a big whoop, but out of line though", Jaden turned his eyes on the crowd in the square. "We're here to save the world!"

"That masked man you saw… He must be stopped", Yusei told us. "Like you, we've seen what happens if he's not."

"This guy seems like he's made his mission-of-a-life to take down Pegasus", Jaden explained.

"But why?!" Yugi wondered.

"Because Paradox believes the future will be much better without the Duel Monsters", Estelle spoke up, making all of us look at her.

"Wait, you mean erasing the Duel Monsters for good?" Jaden asked. "And everything that sprang from the game?" Estelle just nodded.

"So that's why Neos and Defender disappeared!" Clara exclaimed, placing her fist on her palm.

Estelle nodded, "I wish I could tell you more, but in this case I better stay quiet or the chain of event will get unstable."

"It's okay, Estelle", Yusei smiled gently at her. "I know…"

The way Yusei looked at the brunette reminded me a lot of how I looked at Yugi. Was he in love with her? But… For some reason, they didn't feel like a couple.

I stood up on my feet. "Well… I know this much. If the world is in danger, I know I have to help and cancel the apocalypse."

Yugi stood up next to me with a determined expression. "We can't let that Paradox erase the Duel Monsters from history! He hurt my grandpa too! So I'm more than willing to help you four in any way that I can! Let's make this guy sorry he ever messed with us!"

"Glad to have you two on our side", Yusei nodded.

"That's totally ecstatic! We've got the King and Queen of Games in our corner!" Jaden grinned widely. "Now let's do this!"

"But first… We have to get rid of the people down there", Clara pointed down at the square.

"Yeah, this is the place where Paradox will strike", Estelle agreed. "We can't have innocents involved."

"Leave that to me!" Jaden said. "Yubel!"

A spirit of a Duel Monster I had never seen appeared next to Jaden. It looked like a dead angel that had half a man body and half a woman body and black skin covered most of its body.

"_I guess I'll have to do the dirty work_", Yubel commented before she smiled lightly.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

Our group went down to the square while Yubel threw energy spheres around the stage and the square to scare away people. And it actually worked. I was ready to summon one of my dragons to help out, but I didn't need to.

"Nice job scaring them off, Yubel", Jaden grinned as he held an arm around Clara's waist, the one he didn't have his Duel Disk on. "That's right, everyone! Just keep running and don't look back!"

"I hope this scare off Pegasus. That way, he won't be crushed by that building", Yugi said.

"Right, and then the future of Duel Monsters is safe", Yusei nodded.

"But we have to take care of the threat first before we can relax", Aurora told us.

I felt my Mark burn for a second before a voice echoed around us.

"You think you can save the future?!"

A wormhole appeared out of nowhere and Paradox's Duel Runner drove out and braked several meters from us. Strangely the two women from before weren't with him which made me a bit concerned. Were they planning something in the background?

"You listen here!" Yugi glared at Paradox who was still wearing his mask. "We know what you're up to and we're not gonna let it happen! Got it?!" Paradox remained quiet. "So why don't you just make it easy on yourself and go back to wherever it is you came from?!"

We girls were standing behind the boys, being shielded by them.

"Where I came from is why I'm here", Paradox replied.

I knew what that meant, but I didn't want to tell the others. They had to find out on their own in order to understand.

Paradox took off his mask, revealing his face. "Perhaps it's time…we get acquainted. The name is-"

"Paradox, we know!" Jaden shouted, interrupting him. "Yusei's girlfriend told us that!"

I blushed when Jaden said that. "I told you I'm not his girlfriend!" I said with a glare.

Paradox snorted, "Of course the Crimson Star Priestess knows my identity, considering where she's from. After all, I don't come from any of your eras in time. I come from the future."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Yusei yelled.

"Forget him! He's just trying on getting your head", Jaden told Yusei.

"We don't care about your backstory! We just care about keeping our world safe!" Yugi told Paradox.

"Oh, is that so?" Paradox said before he chuckled. "Too bad. Nobody thought on keep _me_ safe. Or those I loved. And now I'll finally have my revenge. I will rid the world of what caused all my pain and suffering. That is why I'm here; because I realized something about this game you love so. This Duel Monsters… The world would be a far better place without it! The Monsters, the Spells… What good comes from it? True, you'd all save the world many times over with your precious cards. But against advisories who's using the same cards to destroy it?!"

For a moment, I couldn't help but feel sympathy for Paradox. From what I remembered of reading about the movie, Paradox came from the future where the world was on the edge of ruins. The planet had reached the apocalypse and the humankind was being extinguished. It was a future many people feared of happening, even back in my world.

Even now in this dimension, I feared for my dimension's future. Would it one day end up in the same way as Paradox's era? Would the mankind be responsible for its own extinction?

"So that's why you're here?! To rid the world of Duel Monsters?!" Yusei asked a bit aggressively which wasn't part of his personality.

"That's correct", Paradox nodded. "Once and for all."

"Not on our watch, you won't!" Yusei retorted.

"You senseless dolts!" Paradox glared at us. "Don't you see? Instead of trying to stop me, you should be trying your best to help me! I told you… Where I come from is the reason that I am here! Where I come from is a doomed future."

I heard Yusei gasp when Paradox said that. I had a feeling it was about his father and his old work to create a better future and how Yusei blamed himself for the Zero Reverse incident.

"No… Our future is a bright one", Yusei said, but his voice shook with uncertainly.

"It's not", Paradox stated. "It is a desolate place. So desolate I could no longer bear to see it through my own eyes! I took the weary of the mask, and it was through this filter that I finally began to see! See why things had ended this way! And the answer was Duel Monsters! So what better way to destroy this was by traveling back to the beginning, and not letting it spread? Time travel is no easy feat. Where there's a will, there's a way." I spotted how Yusei clenched his fist while he was slowly shaking in anger. "And there _was_ a will."

"But don't you realize?" Yusei asked. "You're just not wiping out Duel Monsters…but people too! You're destroying everything and everyone that was ever touched by the game!"

"Of course I realize that, Yusei!" Paradox replied. "As a matter of fact, that's what I'm looking forward to the most!"

"You're a one sick puppy!" Jaden snapped.

"Maybe the game's not perfect, but it's created more good things than bad!" Yugi spat.

"And another thing; the future isn't written yet! There's still time for things to change!" Yusei added.

"Well then, it seems we have a difference of opinion", Paradox sighed. "Since I doubt anymore words would settle our impasse, perhaps we should seek to settle it in another way."

"If you're saying you want a Duel, bring it on, Paradox!" Yusei growled.

"Fine then", Paradox smirked lightly. "I think it'll be an enjoyment to destroy the three of you while your female companions will be busy with my two assistants."

Just as Paradox said that, a purple sphere headed towards me. I spotted it and held out a hand to create a shield in front of me. The sphere hit the shield, but the attack was a bit stronger than I expected, so it caused a small explosion that made me slide back a bit, but Aurora caught me in time.

"You okay?" Aurora asked.

I nodded as I rubbed my right hand. "Yes… That was quite powerful."

Two female voices laughed which grabbed our attention. The six of us looked up to see Star Eater and Hyozanryu flying above the buildings, but they had the touches of a Malefic Monster.

On Malefic Hyozanryu sat a woman in my age with Middle Eastern appearance. She had very dark wavy hair, wavier than mine, and brown eyes. On Malefic Star Eater sat a typical Swedish woman with long blonde hair, blue eyes and pale skin. They were both dressed in the same outfit; a black and purple revealing top that barely covered any skin, black tight short shorts, very long purple boots that hugged their legs and had heels, some kind of purple wrist protection, purple collar around their necks, black transparent mantles that was being held by the shoulders, and devil wings.

Now when I saw those women clearly, I couldn't help but feel scared for a moment. They were looking way too similar to the bullies from my first school. But… They could be someone else, like this dimension's Linda and Hanna…

"Heh, long time no see, Estelle-Belle", the blonde said with a teasing voice.

Scratch my last sentence. They were the real old bullies, except they were adults now.

Yusei turned to me after Aurora let me go. "Estelle…"

I nodded lightly. "They are the old bullies I suspected." I turned my glance at the former bullies, glaring lightly at them. "Linda and Hanna."

"Aww, would you look at that, Linda?" Hanna said in a sick sweet voice. "The puppet remembers our names."

"How cute", Linda snickered.

"How can I ever forget the sick bullies who thought they were better than me and had the rights to put my life into misery?!" I retorted.

Malefic Star Eater and Malefic Hyozanryu growled at me for speaking like that to the women. When I looked into Malefic Star Eater's eyes, I could tell he was hypnotized and didn't recognize me. He didn't see me as his real mistress. Instead it was the blonde woman who was riding on him. Seeing Linda sitting on him with that big smirk on her face made me forget the anxiety I held deep inside my heart. The sight made me so angry.

The feeling of wanting revenge for what Linda and Hanna did to me in the past grew inside me. A small part of my dark side was coming out. I wanted to show the bullies how much it hurt when they, Hanna's little brother and Linda's cousins bullied me day in and day out in elementary school. They never hurt me physically but mentally and verbally.

Since I didn't really have the ability to speak harsh words at them, I would have to deliver my anger with fists and weapons.

I turned to Yusei who had prepared his Duel Disk, just like Jaden and Yami Yugi, and Paradox's Duel Runner had changed into flight mode. Yusei caught my glance and turned to me.

"Win this Duel while I take care of those women", I told him.

Yusei nodded, "Be careful."

I nodded and turned around before running towards the two dragons with the women. I heard footsteps running after me. I knew it was Aurora and Clara who decided to join me and help me take down Linda and Hanna, and take back the dragons.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Clara turned to Jaden who smiled at her. "Jaden…"

"Go, Clara", Jaden nodded. "I'll be fine here. You need to take back Hyozanryu."

Clara smiled lightly with a nod. "Be careful…"

"Same to you, babe", Jaden said before the couple kissed on the lips.

Clara moved back with a soft smile before she ran after Estelle.

At the same time, Aurora had switched place with the Millennium Earring's spirit Amaura. Amaura turned to Yami who looked at her with concern eyes.

"Amaura…", Yami mumbled.

Amaura smiled, "Like Estelle said, win the Duel. I'll help her and…our hosts' daughter."

Yami smirked lightly at the thought of Yugi and Aurora having a child in the future. "Okay."

Amaura placed a kiss on Yami's cheek before she ran after the two other girls.

Yusei couldn't help but feel a bit jealous for a second. Seeing the two other boys receiving kisses from their girlfriends and he not made him feel a bit out of place.

Estelle ran first in the row as her Star Mark glowed through the black sleeve. "Crimson Star!"

A bright red light surrounded her as her clothes got replaced with her Warrior Form and her blue eyes changed into crimson ones. A pair of crimson bird wings grew out from her back before she flew up into the sky, chasing after Linda and Hanna who were flying away with Malefic Star Eater and Malefic Hyozanryu.

Clara pulled out a card from the pocket of her top. "Fusion! Magician's Valkyria!"

The spirit of Magician's Valkyria appeared above Clara as she ran after Estelle. The spirit fused with Clara whose clothes got replaced by the Duel Monster's outfit while her eyes turned into gentle purple ones. A pair of transparent wings appeared on her back before she took flight and followed Estelle.

Amaura pulled also a card out from the Duel Disk she had on her left arm. "Come forth, Aurora Wing!"

Said Duel Monster got materialized above Amaura before she flew down enough for the ancient spirit to climb onto her and sit by the neck. Aurora Wing flapped her wings and chased after the group.

The three boys and Paradox watched the female group fly away before their Duel began. Yusei hoped nothing bad would happen to the girls. Especially Estelle since she was facing two former bullies from her past. She was also a very emotional person deep inside, so he prayed she wouldn't get affected by the two women's harsh words.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

Clara, Amaura and I chased after Linda and Hanna while the dragons attacked us. Meanwhile, the whole city had turned into a cosmic place due to Paradox's Field Spell card. Luckily, the Field Spell made the city deserted, so we didn't have to worry about accidently hurting someone. Clara and I were able to avoid the attacks and counter back with simple moves like throwing energy spheres at the Duel Monsters. Aurora Wing tried to harm the dragons a few times with no result.

Linda and Hanna did nothing to help the dragons. They just sat on Malefic Star Eater and Malefic Hyozanryu and watched the battle with great delight. It seemed to me they were acting spoiled and refused to get their hands dirty, afraid to get some kind of pest.

The only thing they did was throwing harsh words at me, trying to catch me off guard so the dragons could hit me. But their words didn't make me sad as before when I was a little girl. They fueled my anger even more, but the anger didn't make me blind as it used to do. I was able to have a clear mind and block the moves.

"Star Eater!" I called. "It's me! Estelle! Your real partner!"

"It's no use, Belly!" Linda laughed. "He doesn't remember you! He's just a puppet who listens to every command I say!"

"Just like with Malefic Hyozanryu!" Hanna laughed before she smirked at Clara. "He doesn't remember the times you went through together."

Clara growled as she held her staff even tighter. "His mind is still there. I believe in Hyozanryu!"

"Believe as much as you want! It won't help you!" Hanna retorted.

"You two are just as low as ever…", I growled.

"Huh?! Care to repeat that, Belle?!" Linda shouted.

"What's with that repeating nickname…?" Amaura mumbled in the background.

I glared at the evil women with so much hate I could show with my eyes. "You two are nothing but losers!"

"Losers?!" Linda and Hanna exclaimed in anger.

"Yes! Losers! Zeros!" I retorted. "You think you are all mighty and powerful, but you are not! You two are weaklings compared to me!"

"What?!" Hanna spat in disbelief.

"No, _you're_ the one who was always the weakling!" Linda retorted. "Malefic Star Eater!"

Malefic Star Eater roared before he flew higher up and prepared a way too familiar attack.

I turned quickly to Clara and Amaura, the cold sweat running down my cheeks. "Girls, get out of here!"

"Why?" Clara wondered.

"Star Eater is going to use his strongest move! Go!" I shouted.

"What?!" Amaura exclaimed.

Aurora Wing flew away with her rider as Clara hesitantly followed them. Malefic Hyozanryu and Hanna flew up to fly next to Malefic Star Eater who was ready to unleash his attack.

"GO! STARLIGHT DESTROYER!" Linda screamed so loudly it echoed around the buildings.

Malefic Star Eater unleashed a beam with the colors of black, orange and yellow combined at me. It was like Starlight Breaker, but it was its evil version.

I didn't have enough time to get to safety, so I put up a shield in front of me to block as much energy as I could from the attack. But the pentagram was slowly cracking as Malefic Star Eater kept pouring the attack at me. The noise of the beam echoed in my ears and it was ear-splitting.

The sweat ran down my face as I struggled to stay strong and hold on until the move was over. But my arms grew weak and that made the shield even weaker. I looked around by the corner of my eyes to see if I could do something before the shield would break. Nothing caught my sight.

I suddenly felt my arms move due to the shield had shattered into pieces. I gasped before I felt pain rush through my body. I shielded my face with my arms as I felt the force of the beam push me down to the ground, and the next noise I heard and felt was an explosion.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Clara and Amaura watched from afar how Malefic Star Eater's attack had caused an explosion that was devastating. The shockwave had even reached them and some smoke too. The girls had to fan the smoke away as they coughed a bit.

"E-Estelle!" Clara coughed as she felt the smoke poke her eyes and made her cry a bit.

"She couldn't possibly survive that…", Amaura said in disbelief and shock.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Paradox had just summoned Stardust Dragon from the Graveyard to the field due to Malefic Paradox Dragon's special ability when Yusei suddenly felt a painful throb coming from his right arm with the Mark of the Dragon. He grunted in pain and grabbed his arm, feeling something was off. Yami and Jaden noticed his strange action and were about to ask him when the trio and Paradox heard the distant echo of an explosion.

"What was that, guys?" Jaden wondered.

"An explosion…?" Yami mumbled before he concentrated on his bond with Amaura through the Millennium Items.

The nameless Pharaoh could sense his soulmate was okay, but she seemed really worried about something.

"Something must have happened to the girls…", Yami cold sweated.

Yusei turned to Yami with disbelief painted on his face. "Wait… Could that mean…"

Paradox chuckled loudly, gaining the trio's attention. "It seems my assistants took out one of your girlfriends." He glanced towards Yusei with mischievous eyes. "And I have a feeling who it could be."

Yusei gaped when he realized something had happened to Estelle. Why else would his Mark suddenly throb in pain?

"No… It can't be…", the raven-haired man mumbled in disbelief.

Paradox enjoyed the sight of Yusei looking defeated, all because of a woman he liked. The evil man couldn't wait to see Jaden and Yami having the same expressions when their female companions were taken care of.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Back to Yusei's era, the rest of the Signers had helped evacuating people to the outskirt of New Domino City and up to the mountains. There they had a clear view of their beloved city being slowly demolished. But right now, it seemed the destruction had almost come to a standstill.

"The city… It's almost…all gone…", Akiza whimpered.

"But it's not gone yet, and that means Yusei and Estelle still have a chance!" Crow retorted.

It was then the five Signers felt the painful throb coming from their own Marks. They all grunted in pain and grabbed their arms. Each one of them looked at the arms, seeing the Marks glowing through the sleeves, except for Leo who had short sleeves.

"Something happened to them!" Luna declared in fear. "One of them got hurt!"

"The pain was so strong it felt like my arm had been tugged on", Leo commented.

Jack cold sweated a bit. "I hope they can take care of whatever they're dealing with, or else…" He looked up to watch the scene in front of him. "…We're all goners."

Akiza felt the fear raise inside her. She was worried for both Yusei and Estelle, but her gut told her it was Estelle who got hurt. She prayed her first crush and big brother figure were all right wherever they were in the past.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**My apologies, but I decided to split this chapter and make a third part of the movie. It would end up too long and I don't want that.**

**But now I realize I split the chapter just where there was a cliffhanger. But don't worry, the third part will be up sometime during October.**

**The two women, Linda and Hanna's appearance, are up on my DA account. You can find them by the title "YGO 5D's OCs – Evil Linda and Hanna".**


	53. Bonds Beyond Time – Part 3

**Third part up! It's time to finish the movie part so we can move on with the show. But I have to say; it was an enjoyment to write the movie. **

**WARNING! Strong language!**

**The chapter begins in normal point of view.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 53: Bonds Beyond Time – Part 3**

Back to the past and with the battle between the girls, Amaura with Aurora Wing and Clara flew back to the battlefield to see if they could find Estelle.

"Estelle!" Clara called.

"Where are you?!" Amaura shouted.

But the sight they met wasn't what they wanted to see.

On the concrete, where a giant crater had been created by Malefic Star Eater's Starlight Destroyer, laid Estelle's unconscious body. She was lying on her stomach and her hair was spread around her head, blocking the view of her face. She had bruises everywhere on her exposed skin and her wings were broken, snapped in half.

Clara felt tears running down her cheeks as she let out some sobs. Amaura grimaced and tried holding back her tears while biting her lower lip. Aurora Wing was also making some sad noises for seeing a human being having a connection to the Duel Monsters being defeated.

Linda and Hanna were more than happy to see their old victim of their bullying finally being taken down. Their laughter echoed around the street where they were, far away from the boys.

"Finally! We've taken her down!" Hanna laughed.

"And with her own dragon too!" Linda laughed hysterically compared to her friend. "Oh, the irony! There's no way she could survive the awesome attack of my new dragon!" She patted Malefic Star Eater's neck with delight.

"You monsters…", Amaura glared at the two women once she gained control of her tears. "Don't you see you're practically murderers now?!"

"Who cares about your opinion?!" Linda retorted angrily. "We finally got to give her the punishment she deserved a long time ago, way back to school!"

"And now it's Malefic Hyozanryu's turn to take down his former owner", Hanna giggled.

"NO!" Clara screamed in fear. "Hyozanryu, please remember me!" Said Duel Monster stopped growling and stared at the two-toned girl. "Remember the time we've been through! Both good and bad! Please!"

"Shut up, bitch!" Hanna spat. "Malefic Hyozanryu, kill her, even if you have to eat her!"

"What?!" both Clara and Amaura exclaimed in shock.

Was Hanna so desperate to kill Clara that she ordered Malefic Hyozanryu to eat her?! Or was it the evil force that made both Linda and Hanna so desperate to taste blood?

However, Malefic Hyozanryu didn't move an inch. All four girls blinked in confusion when they saw nothing happened.

"What the…?! What are you waiting for, Malefic Hyozanryu?! Kill your former master!" Hanna tried again. She even went far as on hitting the dragon's neck with her fists.

Malefic Hyozanryu let out a roar before a soft red light began shining from the ground. Both the humans and the Duel Monsters looked down at the source of the light to see it came from Estelle.

The light didn't seem to heal Estelle's wounds, but it did something to her, that's for certain.

"What? What's going on?!" Linda's words echoed around them.

Estelle's arms moved slightly before the woman used her hands and elbows to slowly get up, her hair making a curtain and blocked her face.

"She's alive!" Clara declared in happiness.

"What?!" Hanna shrieked in disbelief.

"But how can that be?! No normal human being can survive such move as my Malefic Star Eater's!" Linda growled. "She's a freak!"

Estelle raised up on one knee as she summoned a sword that helped her remain up. She used her other hand to move aside her hair to reveal her determined eyes. In the middle of the pupils was the Star Mark glowing while an aura surrounded her.

"You want to know why I survived?" Estelle said in a slight weak voice. "It's because I have the hidden strength within me and the will to keep fighting. That's how I survived every day at school when you and the others bullied me. That's how I survived my worst days in my life." She now raised up on her feet as the broken wings on her back healed and spread out. "And that's how…" She glared towards Linda and Hanna. "…I survived Star Eater's attack, because I'm a fighter."

Linda and Hanna suddenly felt something new and unfamiliar. Their hands were shaking and slippery by sweat that formed on their palms.

"B-But…", Hanna's voice shook in fear.

Estelle flew up, still holding her sword as she aimed it towards a jewel that was on Malefic Star Eater's mask. "That's why I've always been stronger than any of you and the bullies! That makes you the weaklings because you've always been the non-fighters in life!"

Linda screamed like one of those women who yelled in comedy shows when they hated something. "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!"

Malefic Star Eater wasn't able to react in time when Estelle hit the grey jewel on his mask. The tip of her sword had dug into the jewel, piercing it. A bright light erupted from the jewel as Malefic Star Eater roared while the armor of the Malefic Monster shattered into pieces.

"Alright!" Clara exclaimed happily.

"Star Eater is back", Amaura nodded with a smile.

Linda was shaking in both fear and anger. "No…! No, I can't believe it!"

Estelle flew up to Linda and grabbed her by the throat. The blonde woman gasped for air as she felt Estelle tighten her grip. When Linda was about to glare at the brunette, she froze when she saw pure and 200 percent anger shining in the brunette's eyes.

"No one takes my dragon and makes it his slave", Estelle hissed through her teeth.

With those words, the Crimson Star Priestess threw Linda off Star Eater and delivered a hard kick on her stomach. Linda coughed out blood by the impact.

"And that's for kicking me before!" Estelle exclaimed in anger.

"Linda!" Hanna shouted worriedly.

But the other woman froze when she spotted Clara shattering the grey jewel on Malefic Hyozanryu's mask with her staff. The dark-haired woman jumped off the white dragon as it returned to normal. Hanna spread her wings and flew next to Linda who rubbed her sore stomach.

"Och jag som hoppades att vi inte skulle behöva slåss. (And I was hoping that we wouldn't have to fight.)", the brown-haired woman commented.

Linda hissed angrily through her teeth before she held out her right hand to summon a dagger. "Då får vi ta och städa undan skräpet själva! (Then we take and clean up the trash ourselves!)"

"Om ni kan fixa det själva utan några medhjälpare. (If you can fix it yourselves without any aides.)", Estelle retorted.

Star Eater and Hyozanryu flew behind Estelle, Clara and Aurora Wing who Amaura still sat on. The dragons' eyes shone with pure hatred at the two evil women who dared controlling them and nearly hurting their true human partners.

"Du skrämmer inte oss, din jävla hora! (You don't scare us, you fucking whore!)" Linda spat furiously.

Estelle shook her head disappointingly. "Behärska språket. Ni är ju inte tonåringar längre. (Master the language. You're not teenagers anymore.)"

Linda grew even madder at her rival and gave her the finger. "Fuck you!"

"You need to clean that mouth of yours with soap", Amaura commented.

"And stop making such immature gestures", Clara added.

Hanna was a bit uncertain when she saw Linda's anger grew by each calm retort from the trio. This was not what the blonde woman wanted to hear.

Linda wanted to see the old Estelle who got upset by every comment that she, Hanna and the other bullies told her with a nasty tone. The bullies loved to see their victim cry and run away to be all alone in a corner of the schoolyard. It was their only entertaining activity during recess.

Why weren't any of the words she poured out not affecting Estelle?!

Estelle raised up her sword so she could point it towards Linda. "I'm no longer the Estelle you used to know, Linda and Hanna." That grabbed the bullies' attention. "I've grown and matured, and thanks to my mother I realized I've always been the stronger one among us. And that I shouldn't take every single word someone throws at me seriously, despite that it could hurt. But now, as an adult…" The sword in her hand changed shape and became a katana. "I see two immature girls who are still acting like stupid teenagers who have nothing better to do than just talk about nonsense and hurry to grow up into an adult by sleeping with people." Estelle glared at the women. "Disgusting. Why throwing away something so precious when you're just a child? You should save the moments for the adult life, because you're only a child once in a lifetime."

"Shut up…", Linda growled.

"Y-Yeah, you better shut up, Estelle!" Hanna took the courage to help her friend. "You sound like you're still a virgin!"

"And I'm proud of it", Estelle retorted, catching the dark-haired woman off guard.

"SHUT UP!" Linda exploded and flew towards Estelle.

Estelle saw Linda coming at her with the dagger. The crimson-clad woman waited for the blonde woman to approach her. The brunette could tell by the blonde's movement how she didn't have any training in her records, so there was an easy swing with the katana and the dagger got thrown out from Linda's grip.

Linda gaped in shock before she got another kick on her stomach. Estelle took the opportunity and also slashed the woman in front of her. A long and deep wound bled on Linda's collarbone, causing her to move back a bit while holding her hands against the wound to stop the bleeding.

"LINDA!" Hanna shouted before she took aim at Estelle with her own dagger.

But Clara flew forward and blocked the dagger in the dark-haired woman's hand with her staff. Hanna tried fighting against the two-toned girl, but Clara swung her staff and knocked out the dagger of the evil woman's grip.

The daggers dissipated in dark energy as Hanna flew back with Linda who was fuming in anger.

"This is so wrong…!" the blonde woman growled, referring to how Estelle wasn't the old and sensitive little girl from the past.

"Yes, it's so wrong to take other people's cards and use them against their true owners", Amaura nodded with her arms crossed.

Star Eater and Hyozanryu growled warningly at the evil women. They were ready for revenge. They were just waiting for a sign from their true partners to attack the two bullies.

Estelle raised her katana before she went into a pose, ready to strike. "Clara. Amaura." Said girls turned to the crimson-clad woman. "This fight is mine alone."

"Got it", Clara nodded.

"Understood", Amaura said.

Estelle nodded and turned her attention back at the evil duo. "You would never understand the mental pressure and pain I felt in the childhood, so I'll show you in another way…" The katana reflected some light, making it glow in fire. "…The physical way."

Linda snorted at the brunette, not taking her seriously. "Du kan inte skilja på en kvast och svärd. (You can't separate a broom and sword.)"

"Åh? Det tror du? (Oh? You think so?)" Estelle retorted calmly.

But inside the brunette was boiling in anger. She had held this frustration inside her for years. She wanted revenge for going through such emotional pain, and she wanted to pay it back tenfold. She didn't want to murder Linda and Hanna; she just wanted to show them what true pain really was.

"Linda… Det kanske är bäst om du inte provocerar henne mera… (Linda… Maybe it's best if you don't provoke her anymore…)", Hanna told her companion. "Hon lyckades såra dig… (She managed to hurt you…)" She pointed at the bleeding slash on Linda's collarbone.

Linda was about to shout back something at her friend when they suddenly got attacked by Estelle with her katana who moved faster than the wind. The dragons, Aurora Wing, Clara and Amaura just watched the scene in the background, ignoring the pained cries for help and mercy from the evil women.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yusei barely kept on Dueling when he once again felt his Mark throb, but now it had been a gentle throb. He was first confused, but then felt a connection to Estelle. He could sense she was alive and kicking. That made the huge weight on his shoulders lift for knowing his crush was okay. Paradox had sensed the sudden change in Yusei's eyes and got a slight bad feeling about his assistants, but he had faith in them. After all, his old friend and comrade had brought them from the same dimension where the current Crimson Star Priestess came from.

Yami had reminded Yusei that it was up to him now and how people from his era were counting on him.

Yusei suddenly remembered his close friends. He saw the illusions of the Signers in front him. Crow smirking proudly at him, Leo and Luna sharing a smile, Jack nodding with proud eyes while having his arms crossed, and Akiza winking encouragingly. The sixth figure who appeared in front of Yusei was Estelle. Her warm smile and soft eyes told him she and everyone else were there for him. Behind his close friends, he saw every single people he had met in his life until today. Everyone from Martha to the twins' schoolmates.

They were all there by Yusei's side, sharing their hope and energy for Yusei to win and protect their era and the future.

Yusei felt the determination grow as he felt the encouragement from all his friends, and Yami and Jaden. "Alright. Let's do this! For Duel Monsters and all my friends! And the people of New Domino City!"

Yami and Jaden nodded in agreement.

"Yeah! No doubt!" Jaden added. "Now let him have it!"

"It will be my pleasure", Yusei nodded.

But before Yusei could make a move, something suddenly fell down on the ground in front of the fusion beast with Paradox and Malefic True Dragon. The trio gaped in surprise.

"Hey, what was that just now?" Jaden asked.

"I have no idea", Yami replied.

Paradox watched the ground in front of him as the dust slowly died down. "What's this?!" When the dust finally blew away, it revealed two deeply wounded women who now also had short hair. Their outfits looked so worn that they could rip apart and reveal their whole upper bodies.

"Linda?! Hanna?!" Paradox exclaimed in shock.

The girls were knocked out due to blood loss, extreme fighting and the crash on the concrete.

"Sorry about that!" a familiar voice yelled from the sky above the Duel field, making the trio of protagonist look up.

Above the boys flew Star Eater, Hyozanryu and Aurora Wing with their respective partners. Amaura was the one who had yelled the apology.

"We just wanted to dump the trash to where it belongs!" Clara added, waving to the boys, especially to Jaden.

"Alright! Our girls did it!" Jaden cheered joyfully. "They got back their dragons!"

Yami nodded with a small smile. "They certainly did."

Estelle, who had stains of blood on her, turned to Yusei. The raven-haired man met her glance and saw the message she sent to him.

"Finish it, Yusei!" the brunette told him.

Yusei nodded and turned his attention back to the Duel. The girls had done their part. Now it was the young men's turn. It was time to end this once and for all!

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

Time passed after the battle and it was now sundown and everything was back to normal again. The boys had been able to defeat Paradox, and we girls had taken back Star Eater and Hyozanryu, and I also kicked Linda and Hanna's butts. The two women had disappeared after Paradox got killed, so I had no idea where they could be. But a bad feeling remained inside me.

First I encountered Niklas the fake ex-boyfriend, and now Linda and Hanna the bullies from my past. Was Yliaster, or even worse Z-one, planning something against me and they used these three people to manipulate and weaken me?

I watched from the rooftop with Clara and Amaura how Pegasus and his two bodyguards gave away cards to every participant that had been in the tournament. Sadly, Yugi and Aurora had to miss the opportunity to write some "history" for the future, but saving the world and time was always the number one priority.

"Well, I guess you missed the chance to write some history, Amaura", I said.

"It's okay. Yami and I will get another time to participate in a tournament and win", Amaura replied. "The most important thing was to save the Duel Monsters and the future."

Clara nodded in agreement. "Yeah… And we did it together."

We smiled to each other before we walked over to the boys who also had their own private time to talk.

"Done, boys?" Amaura wondered.

Yami nodded as his soulmate linked her arm with his. "Yes."

Clara walked to Jaden who wrapped his arm around her waist. The girl blushed a bit while Jaden gave her a grin before kissing her forehead.

I couldn't help but smile at the two couples while I stood next to Yusei. But what surprised me was when I felt Yusei's arm wrap around my waist. I blushed pretty hard before I looked away shyly. I had no idea what kind of face Yusei made, but I could hear the chuckles from the others, telling me the raven-haired man was also looking bashful.

"Whatever happens, I know the bond we formed here today is one that's going to stand and test of time", Yami said.

Jaden reached out his free hand. "All of time."

Yusei placed his hand above Jaden's. "Absolutely."

Yami added his hand as well before Amaura placed hers on his. Clara was the next one to place her hand on the pile before I slowly added my hand as well.

"Let today's Duel be a lesson and motivation to keep the future safe", I said.

"You said it, Estelle", Amaura nodded.

Clara nodded as well. "Let's all of us work hard to protect the Duel Monsters and our future."

**XXXXXXXXXX – Aurora's POV**

Amaura and Yami finally let me and Yugi return to our bodies after the two couples went back to their time with Yusei's motorcycle and Estelle's Masked Dragon, and with help of the fire dragon from before.

Yugi and I smiled to each other, happy to have made a bond with these people from the future. But something was still nagging me. Amaura had blocked some parts of thoughts for me when she had been in control of my body, and it seemed to have something to do with Clara.

"Well, we lost a tournament, but we won new friends and saved the world", Yugi said a bit cheerfully. "And Grandpa."

I nodded before I realized I had forgotten something very important. Before I could say something, the door to the rooftop slammed open and revealed my twin brother.

"There you are!" Joakim panted. He looked like he had been running for hours.

"Joakim!" I exclaimed before I face palmed. "I knew I forgot something…"

Joakim walked up to us with a serious expression. "I've been looking for you in hours! You missed the tournament! Even Solomon is going crazy, not knowing where you were, Yugi!"

Yugi laughed a bit nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry…"

"But seriously, what happened?" Joakim demanded. "I can tell something happened because Mako felt something unusual from both Amaura and Yami. So spill!"

Yugi and I shared a glance before we turned back to Joakim who had his arms crossed and tapped his foot. "It's…a long and futuristic story", I replied.

Joakim arched an eyebrow. "Futuristic?"

**XXXXXXXXXX – Clara's POV**

Yusei, Estelle, Jaden and I made it back to our era and to Venice where we met. It was late afternoon there too with the sun going down by the horizon. There were barely any people in the Piazza San Marco square, so it was safe for Yusei and Estelle to show up with the motorcycle and Masked Dragon.

Estelle and I climbed off Masked Dragon as Jaden jumped out from Yusei's motorcycle. Masked Dragon growled lightly before he returned to Estelle's card. Jaden wanted to speak with Yusei in private for a minute, so Estelle and I moved aside so we wouldn't hear what the boys talked about.

"I guess this is goodbye", Estelle said in a slight low tone.

"Yeah…", I nodded. "But I'm happy I met you today, Estelle. I'll always remember you."

Estelle chuckled lightly. "Just forget the part when I nearly massacred Linda and Hanna." She adjusted her glasses before looking away in shame. "I…nearly felt like an animal back then who was thirsty for blood."

"But they deserved it", I told her. "You could have killed them, but you didn't. That shows there's mercy within you and you can somehow forgive the ones who hurt you."

Estelle looked at me with surprised eyes. "You just sounded very wise."

I giggled with a blush on my cheeks. "I inherited the wisdom from my mother. My father always tells me that I'm like a copy of Mom."

"Hey, Clara!" Jaden called.

We looked up and saw the two-toned boy wave his hand. Yusei sat on the motorcycle with a helmet on as his eyes were set on Estelle.

The two of us walked back to the boys. Jaden grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers as Estelle sat down behind Yusei on the motorcycle.

"Don't forget what I told you, bro", Jaden grinned.

Yusei just nodded before a small blush appeared on his cheeks when Estelle wrapped her arms around his waist. Estelle looked a bit shy too, but she hid it very well.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

The Crimson Dragon sent me and Yusei back to his era and returned to the beautiful city. There were no signs of the destruction from before. The sky was blue with white fluffy clouds and the vegetation was as green as ever.

Once Yusei braked his Duel Runner, he pulled off his helmet and looked at the city. My arms were still wrapped around his waist as he spoke out loud.

"At long last, I finally feel like I can let go of the past and focus on the future. Paradox may have painted a black picture for the world, but I know the future isn't set-and-stone. It's _what_ we make it. And together, we're going to make it bright, because the true magic of Duel Monsters isn't just in the cards. It's in all the friendship we forged thanks to the game."

"And keep this as a motivation to protect the future", I repeated the words I said before as I rested my left cheek on Yusei's back. "A motivation to protect the next generations and live in a world of harmony."

"Yeah…", I felt Yusei nod before he grew quiet for a couple of seconds. "Estelle."

I removed my cheek from Yusei's back, looking at the back of his head. "Yes?"

I heard Yusei swallow a bit nervously. "I-"

"Yusei! Estelle!"

I looked over Yusei's shoulder to see our friends run towards us. They were all smiling, or smirking lightly in Jack's case, as they approached us. I heard Yusei growl lightly before he shook his head and returned back to normal.

I let go of his waist and climbed off the Duel Runner before I got embraced by the twins around my waist.

"You did it! You saved the time!" Leo cheered happily.

"We all got worried when we felt our Marks throb in pain", Luna said.

I arched an eyebrow in surprise. "Were you able to sense my pain from the past?"

"Ehh… Yeah, if it was you who got hurt", Crow said a bit uncertainly.

I nodded, "Well, I got to taste Star Eater's Starlight Breaker myself, only its dark version."

"Wait, what?!" Jack exclaimed in shock. "Star Eater attacked _you_?!"

"You're okay now, right?" Akiza asked in concern.

"Yes", I nodded before I turned to Yusei. "_Both_ of us."

Yusei nodded at my statement.

"So, what happened?" Crow wondered.

"It's a long story. How about we tell you guys back in the garage?" Yusei suggested.

"Okay!" the twins chirped.

"Fine!" Crow replied a bit impatiently.

"Sure", Akiza nodded.

Jack just nodded with his arms crossed.

I sat back on Yusei's Duel Runner and wrapped my arms around his waist as the others ran back to get their Duel Runners and Duel Boards. Yusei had made a new Duel Board for Luna since the one she got from Lester broke down after the youngest Pure Noble had attacked her with his Meklord Emperor.

Once we gathered, we drove back together through New Domino City with a new light shining in our hearts.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Welp, that was the last part of the movie.**** I hope you enjoyed the three chapters. :)**

**Now, about the one-shot of Jaden and Clara I mentioned in the last chapter… I will write it, and I will announce it among the Author's Note before the chapters when I have it posted. I'll try writing it during October, but if not then it might be up in November. So please be patient.**


	54. Bruno the Genius

**Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for Bruno to make an intro!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 54: Bruno the Genius**

A couple of days later, after the Bonds Beyond Time event, I got a call from Mina that she and Trudge wanted to invite me to dinner. I got a bit surprised since I knew it was time for Bruno to appear, but it had only been the Satellite Trio who got invited. So why was I also invited?

When I told Blister the name of the restaurant Mina mentioned, the cowboy had exclaimed in surprise. "That's a four-star restaurant! If they have a motive behind the invitation, then they must be using the high-rate restaurant as bait."

So right now, I was in my room, getting ready for the dinner. The truth was I had only a few pairs of outfits. I knew I had to dress at least a bit formal since it was a four-star restaurant invitation.

The dress I had during the WRGP party was too much, so the only choice I had was the same red tunic I had been wearing when the twins, Tanner, Yanagi and I went to the Arcadia Movement months ago.

I knew girls who acted too dramatically would burn the clothes they had been wearing during a very uncomfortable incident, like getting raped or being cheated by its partner or whatever else. The red tunic that reached to the middle of my thighs was the same one I had been wearing when Sayer tried raping me, and that was an uncomfortable memory. But nothing else happened since he left before he could undress me, and I had no other clothes that would suit for the dinner, so I chose the red tunic with black stretch tights, black bolero and my black boots. As for my hair, I decided to have it behind the ears and keep it there with red hairpins. It actually looked good on me when I saw my reflection in the mirror.

I pulled out my small wine-red bag and put my Deck, smartphone, keys and wallet in it. I finished checking myself in the mirror before I left the house to take the cab that I had called to get to the restaurant.

Once we reached the garage of the building, I paid for the cab and watched it drive away just as Yusei, Crow and Jack drove down to the garage.

"Hey, it's Estelle!" Crow called when he spotted me.

The young men parked a couple of meters from me before they took off their helmets and locked the Duel Runners.

I held up my hand as greeting when the men approached me. "Hi, guys."

"Well, you're certainly dressed up", Jack commented. "Here on a date?"

I could swear I saw Yusei freeze at the question. Crow grinned lightly at the raven-haired man's reaction.

I shook my head. "No. Mina and Trudge invited me to dinner."

"You too?" Yusei arched an eyebrow once he got over the freeze-mode.

"Yeah", I nodded.

"Same with us", Crow said. "But I don't complain. We get free dinner and I don't have to cook tonight. Plus we've get to taste some high-quality food!" He was drooling a bit from the corner of his mouth. "Man, I always wanted to eat in a high-rate restaurant."

"This seems too suspicious", Jack spoke up.

"Yeah. Mina and Trudge never mentioned they invited you as well, Estelle", Yusei agreed.

"I think I have a hunch what this is all about", I told the guys.

"Really?" Jack wondered. "Well, what is it?"

"You'll figure out soon enough", I replied.

Yusei's lips shifted into a small smile. "Still secretive as always."

"And it's for the best", I retorted with a small smile myself.

"Hey, guys! Hurry up!" Crow called from an elevator.

Jack snorted and walked ahead to the elevator before Yusei and I followed him. I saw from the corner of my left eye how Yusei studied me before he leant closer to my ear.

"You look good…", he whispered.

I blushed at the compliment. "Thank you…"

We took the elevator up to the restaurant and met Trudge and Mina. Trudge was dressed in a suit while Mina had the same outfit as usual. We sat down by a table and a waiter brought out the food which was steak with potatoes and sauce.

Crow dug in immediately, but Yusei, Jack and I didn't eat. We knew there was a reason behind this sudden invitation. I sat on Mina's right side, so I had a clear view of the city, but I could also see the reflection of Mina and Trudge. Both of them tried to have neutral facial expressions, but they were easy to see through.

Crow didn't even think about the suspicious situation. He just enjoyed the food. "So this is how the rich people eat", he said before taking another bite of his steak. "This is great! It's like the best food I've ever eaten ever!"

He didn't really have good table manners since he was eating quite loud. Some people from the other tables glanced at us sometimes, but especially at Crow who was too loud. It was a bit embarrassing.

"Come on, guys, dig in already! It's not every day we get taken out to fancy restaurants like this!" Crow tried encouraging his two foster brothers.

Jack was studying Mina and Trudge with sharp eyes while he had his arms crossed. "This whole situation is suspect."

Mina and Trudge cleared their throats, trying to act calm and natural before Mina spoke up. "W-What's suspect about it? What are you talking about?" She let out a nervous laugh. "We just wanted to take you guys out. That's all!"

"You know what Martha used to always tell us? 'Nothing in this world is free. Everything comes to a cost in one way or another'", Yusei said the quote.

"Here's the way I'm seeing it; you wouldn't blow your mega-government salaries on us if you didn't want something in return", Jack said.

"Well said, Jack", I nodded.

"Thank you", Jack replied nonchalantely.

"That's…!" Trudge began in a harsh tone, but changed it quickly. "We're just being nice!"

"So there's nothing you want from us?" Jack asked.

"No, no, of course not!" Trudge replied. "I mean, there's this one little favor, but that's-"

"I knew it. Here it comes!" Jack said, still with his sharp eyes.

"It's nothing big", Mina said. "There's just this guy, and he's got amnesia, and he was found on the beach last week and, well… Security can't watch him, but he doesn't know where else to go."

"And what does this all have to do with us?" Yusei asked.

Mina turned to Yusei to explain. "He's been staying with Trudge, but it's a small apartment and Trudge has a cat and this guy's allergic to cats, and I don't have room in my place, so…"

"So you want to dump this guy on us?" Jack said, nailing it.

"Yeah!" Crow nodded before he took another bite of the steak while trying to speak with his mouth full.

"Rule number one, Crow; never speak with your mouth full", I reminded him.

I hated it when people tried to speak with their mouths full of food. I nearly choked myself in the past when I tried saying something at school and at home. Of course, now I had better table manners than when I was a little girl.

"Just for a little while", Trudge pleaded.

"No way", Yusei replied bluntly.

"Come on, you three!" Mina begged, her eyes being on Jack. "This guy needs help!"

"Not a chance", Jack said clearly.

"I beg if I have to", Trudge bowed his head to the guys.

"Don't bother!" Crow replied.

I saw how both Mina and Trudge were turning their heads towards me. I blinked confusedly for a second before I cast a glance at the young men and realized the adults' backup plan.

"I get it", I said. "You invited me as well to see if I can convince the boys to take in the guy." Mina and Trudge nodded. "Sorry, but this isn't my place to say something. The boys are of age and they can make their own decisions. And even if I would try talking to them, they would still say no."

"Well said, Estelle", Jack said nonchalantely.

"Thank you", I nodded. "Besides, where is this guy?"

"Well, he should have been here by now, but…", Trudge replied before he and Mina shared an uncertain glance. They seemed to not know about the amnesia guy's whereabouts.

"Well, if he's not here, there's nothing we can do. Oh, well!" Crow smiled before devouring the food.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

In the end, Yusei, Jack and I ate our steaks with Mina and Trudge before I followed the young men down to the garage. Something was still bugging me about the amnesia guy. If he was the one I thought he was, then he was going to be a big part for the upcoming events.

"Man, that was close! I almost got settled with some random roommate!" Crow commented.

"Maybe because you let your trudging horse stroll right in by accepting their dinner and pigging out and enjoying yourself!" Jack told the carrot-head.

"Hey, you laughed at the movie they took us to as well", Crow retorted.

"I did not!" Jack spat.

"You did so!" Crow grinned.

I rolled my eyes on the arguing duo as we walked closer to the Duel Runners. It was then Yusei and I spotted someone doing something to Jack's Duel Runner. The person's blue hair told me everything.

Bruno.

"Guys, look!" Yusei spoke up, pointing towards Jack's Duel Runner.

"Hey!" Jack exclaimed before running over to Bruno. "What in the duce do you think you're doing to my Duel Runner?!" Bruno looked up from his work. "I eat little bugs like you for breakfast!"

Jack pulled up Bruno by the collar and delivered a hard punch at the mechanic. Bruno yelled in pain before crashing on the concrete.

"Jack!" I glared at the blonde man before running over to Bruno to help him.

"Don't even look at my Duel Runner again!" I heard Jack growl before he drove off with his Duel Runner.

I sat on my knees next to Bruno and helped him sit up. "Are you okay?"

Bruno rubbed the back of his head before nodding. "Yeah."

"Are you sure?" Yusei kneeled down next to me. "Is anything broken?"

"Forget this guy! Let's go!" Crow said, freaking out a bit about Jack's bad temper.

"Hang on, Crow!" Yusei told his younger foster brother.

"Fellas, what happened?!" Trudge called as he and Mina ran over to us.

"What's going on?" Mina asked.

"We got down here and found this yahoo messing around with Jack's Duel Runner, trying to steal it or something", Crow explained before pointing at Bruno.

Trudge and Mina gasped in surprise when they saw Bruno. "Boys, this is-", Trudge began before he got interrupted by Mina.

"Bruno!" Mina glared at the young man. "Why didn't you come up to the restaurant?"

Bruno panicked before he kept bowing down to the ground in apology. "I saw that incredible Duel Runner and I just had to start poking around! I couldn't help myself! I didn't even know-" He kept rambling excuses while still panicking.

"So I'm guessing this is the stray you wanted us to adopt", Yusei said a bit sarcastically.

"Yeah, this is Bruno", Mina introduced him.

"Are you serious?!" Crow exclaimed in shock before turning to Yusei. "What do you think we should do, Yusei?"

"Why are you asking me for?" Yusei retorted.

I turned my attention back to Bruno. "Can you stand up?"

Bruno stopped panicking and looked at me, as if analyzing me, before nodding. "Y-Yeah."

I held his left arm and helped him up on his feet. Only seconds after that, Jack drove into the garage again and snatched Bruno!

"I'm gonna borrow this jump!" Jack called as he drove out from the garage.

"Huh… I didn't see that coming", Crow commented.

"Come on, let's go!" Yusei said before running over to his Duel Runner.

Crow followed his example and ran to his Duel Runner.

"Go where?" Trudge asked.

Yusei put on his helmet before turning to us. "Don't worry. We'll take it from here." He backed from the parking slot.

"Thanks for the grub, dudes!" Crow thanked Trudge and Mina.

With that said, the duo drove off to see what Jack was going to do with Bruno. Watching them drive their Duel Runners made me a bit jealous. Sometimes I wished I could have the privilege to drive a Duel Runner myself so I didn't have to summon a Duel Monster or take a cab all the time.

Oh, well, you couldn't get everything you wished for.

Mina turned to me when she saw I was still there with them. "We can give you a ride home, if you want."

"Are you sure? It will be quite a big detour for you", I replied, not wanting to make things worse for them.

"It's okay, Estelle", Trudge told me. "We don't mind driving you home."

It sounded to me they really didn't mind taking me home, so I accepted their offer.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I didn't hear anything from the guys about the situation with Bruno for two days, so I decided to come over and see what was going on.

When I arrived to the garage, I saw no one in there, but I heard voices coming from upstairs. I walked up to the kitchen and met the sight of Yusei and Bruno sitting by a computer, typing and talking and using unknown terms that had do with mechanic and Duel Runners. Jack and Crow were sitting on the couch next to the stairs, watching the duo with boring and jealous eyes.

I glanced at Crow who noticed I had appeared. But before I could say something, the twins appeared behind me, both of them looking excited.

"Hey, Yusei!" Leo called. "Let's have a Duel!"

"Leo wants to show off a new combo he learned!" Luna added.

But their voices fell into deaf ears.

The next person who walked up to the kitchen was Akiza with a thick book in her hands. "Hey, Yusei! About my physics and calculus homework-"

Crow quickly hushed the trio which grabbed their attention.

"Who is this new guy?" Leo asked Yusei's foster brothers.

"Some stray dog that Yusei decided to take in", Jack explained with a frown.

"He's like some kind of a mega-super genius engineer or something", Crow added, looking a bit sad.

"Do you think he can do cool stuff to my Duel Board?" Leo asked excitedly. "Like giving it more flashing lights and stuff?"

"Yeaaah… No", Crow replied.

"So what are they talking about?" Luna asked.

"Duel Runners and computers and engines and stuff", Crow replied. "They've been ignoring us for days and speaking their own language. They're like bestest friends now."

"But I'm Yusei's bestest friend!" Leo retorted.

Luna frowned and crossed her arms. "Yeah, okay, what makes you his bestest friend?"

"I just am!" Leo replied with a grin.

I just shook my head and turned to the group. "Everyone." Jack, Crow, Leo, Luna and Akiza turned to me. "Down to the garage."

"What for?" Jack asked a bit irritated.

"Just go", I replied with a harsh glare.

Jack flinched by my eyes, but gave in. The group followed me down to the garage so I could talk to them without disturbing Yusei and Bruno.

"Guys, I know you're jealous and feel like Yusei is ignoring us, but that's not true", I began.

"Oh, yeah?" Jack glared lightly.

"Yusei is in the middle of a very important stage and he _must_ do it", I continued. "The only thing we can do now is to support him."

"Support him?" Leo blinked confusedly.

"We all know Yusei is not a selfish man unlike Jack…", I said, pointing at Jack.

"Hey!" Jack retorted with a growl.

"…But he has always helped us without any complains. Now it's _our_ turn to help him without complaining", I continued. "We have to let him be selfish, especially when it's about his passion. Don't you also feel you don't want to get disturbed and get out of the moment when you're into something?"

"Well, when you put it like that…", Akiza said before hugging her book to her chest. "I can accept it."

"Me too", Luna nodded.

"Okay, okay, I won't bother Yusei", Leo groaned lightly.

"At least, don't disturb Yusei until he's done with the project that he and Bruno are working on", I told the group.

"But how can we support them?" Crow asked.

"Simple. By making sure you're quiet around them and not going into loud arguments as you two usually do", I turned my eyes on Jack and Crow.

"Hey! Enough with the insults already!" Jack shouted angrily at me.

"She's right, though! And be quiet!" Akiza glared at the blonde man.

"And I'm sure they will forget to eat and drink, so make some easy food they can eat with their hands, like rice balls or waffles or whatever else", I added. "Just place the food next to them without saying something and they will automatically reach for it."

"You sure Yusei will do that?" Crow asked, looking a bit uncertain.

I nodded, "This is Yusei we're talking about. Even though he won't say anything as thanks, he will feel grateful that you think about him. Besides, you two should know him better than the rest of us."

Jack and Crow shared a glance before they looked a bit ashamed. "Well, yeah, you're right about that…", Crow rubbed the back of his head.

"It just…stinks that a stranger shows up and becomes friends with Yusei in less than a day", Jack frowned.

"Don't worry. Yusei is still the same", I told them. "He won't forget us. In fact, he never will."

**XXXXXXXXXX – Crow's POV**

It was kinda hard to resist the urge to talk to Yusei, but I held myself back. Heck, even Jack controlled himself, but I could often see he was close to the limit. When he wasn't on work, he said he was out with Carly. Not on dates, as I usually teased him with, but having "real conversations" with someone else. I couldn't help but grin when I knew the reason why Jack always went out with Carly.

Yusei and Bruno had moved their "office" down to the garage and installed one more computer so both of them could work on the program. From what I could snap up, it sounded like they could make an amazing design program. If it was true, then we would be invincible in the WRGP.

After Estelle's pep-talk, I had made rice balls for them and poured juice in two glasses for the guys. As she said, I put the plates with rice balls and glasses with juice next to the duo quietly. By that time, they had still been working in the kitchen. I then sat down on the couch and watched them to see if they would really eat or drink. It took like half an hour before Yusei reached for a rice ball and ate it while talking with his mouth full.

I didn't know why, but I felt a huge relief when I saw Yusei had eaten the rice balls. Estelle was right. Yusei and Bruno would reach for the food without thinking and eat it.

I suddenly felt myself acting like a housewife and that made me crack a big grin. It actually felt good supporting Yusei for once. He was always selfless and refused to be greedy. Now when he was into something that he forgot about the world around him, it felt nice to lend him some of my strength to help.

Man, how many times was Estelle right in everything she said? It still made me wonder why she and Yusei weren't a couple yet. Estelle seemed to understand what Yusei felt and worked like, and she respected that better than the rest of us. She had faith in him.

That thought raised a question for me. When did Yusei fall in love with Estelle officially? I tried remembering back in time to see if there was a difference in however they interacted, but I just couldn't find the gap where their relationship had moved one small step forward.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Jack's POV**

I didn't know why, but I just couldn't stand being in the garage where Yusei and the stray dog worked together. So whenever I was free from work, I spent most of my time with Carly. She was always welcoming me and I helped her with the investigations for her scoops. Of course, I had to keep an eye on her and make sure she didn't get hurt or into a big mess.

I admired Carly about her passion to find scoops for the gossip magazine editorial staff she worked for. But I felt she deserved to work in a real newspaper and not with some dirty gossip magazine. It just wasn't her style.

I sat on a bench and looked up at the sky, thinking back for a moment. The word "passion" kept repeating in my head.

Passion… Estelle had said that word before, when she told us we should leave Yusei alone with his passion, which was computers and engines.

I had no problem with Yusei's passion, but the only thing that disturbed me the most was the stray dog. How come they had clicked so fast? Was it really because this Bruno character was actually a super-mega engineer as Crow said? Did Yusei really prefer someone like the stray dog to have real conversations with?

Or was it just temporary since Yusei was desperate to build the perfect engine and write a program for our Duel Runners?

I let out a sigh. I just didn't know how to deal with such situations. I wasn't into all the mushy and deep bond stuff. I wasn't Estelle who seemed to know a lot about emotions and deep thinking.

Estelle must have gone through a lot to understand cases and read a lot too. She did mention before she tried to "live" in someone's body and try to see what that character felt and try imagining it herself. She could be quite a good psychologist if you ask me.

Despite her sometimes childish behavior, she was an intelligent woman. Yusei really needed to get out of his shell and date her before she would get sent back to her dimension. The thought of her leaving made me feel a bit sad. She became a member of our group and was like a big sister. I knew I would certainly miss her. There, I admitted it! Now don't laugh at me!

I heard Carly cry out my name which made me look around and see her run over to me with two mugs of coffee. The sight of her made me smile lightly. She was really like a fortune lady. And lately, this weird feeling kept returning in my heart whenever I saw her.

What the heck could that be?

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

It had been a couple of days since I was in the garage. From what I got to know from Crow, Yusei and Bruno were eating the food he prepared for them and Jack kept spending his time with Carly. I barely remembered what would happen next, but I knew the design program would get stolen.

I had just finished eating breakfast in the early morning, all alone in the dining room, when I felt a harsh tug from my Mark. I grunted in pain and grabbed my arm, rubbing it to smooth the pain. I pulled up the black sleeve and saw Yusei, Jack and Crow's Marks glow along with my Star Mark.

Something must have happened to them if I felt that painful throb. I only felt this pain whenever someone got physically hurt.

Without thinking, I pulled on my jacket and boots and rushed out of the house. I didn't even think on bringing my Deck. I transformed into my Warrior Form and jumped up to the sky. I let my wings spread open and fly towards New Domino City.

I flew as fast as I could to Fountain Plaza district and landed next to the fountain. I turned back to my normal self and rushed to the garage. I burst open the doors that were luckily unlocked.

"I'm here! What's the emergency?!" I called.

The sight I was met with was the four young men standing by the computers, their attention at me. They were all looking very surprised to see me.

I looked at all four of them, seeing they were okay. "You're all fine?"

"Ehh… What's up, Estelle?" Crow asked.

I closed the doors and walked down the stairs to get to the group. "I felt my Mark throb so hard I thought you guys were in danger."

"We're not in danger", Yusei told me. "The only problem here is that someone stole the design program and deleted it from our computer."

So the program got stolen as in the anime, but what was that painful throb about? Unless… I recalled one old time during the Fortune Cup. It was when I felt the painful tug from my heart when Akiza got emotionally upset.

"Were you guys upset or angry moments ago?" I asked.

"Well, Jack nearly blew a gasket, assuming Bruno is the culprit", Crow pointed out.

Jack just growled from his throat with his arms crossed.

"But the rest of you also got upset for one second or so?" I asked.

"Yep", Crow nodded.

"Yeah. Especially knowing that all the hard work and time got wasted in the end by someone stealing the program", Yusei replied.

I rubbed my right arm. "Then the throb I felt must have been your emotional pain and not physical…" I let out a soft groan. "I went all impulsive and thought you were in danger." I crossed my arms and pouted lightly. "Next time I see the Crimson Dragon, I'm going to complain about this."

Yusei and Crow chuckled at my comment. Jack got a very small grin on his lips while Bruno looked confused.

I let go of the slight anger I held and moved to the critical situation. "Back to the present, did you guys find any clues about this thief?"

"No, nothing", Crow replied. "He must have used gloves since I checked for fingerprints around the computers."

It was then Bruno walked up to the regular-looking room-service cart which the boys used for their noodle cups and water boiler. "There were four Noodles Togogo cups here when we went to sleep."

"What?! He stole my Noodles Togogo?!" Jack exclaimed, rage being painted on his face.

Bruno found some cellophane in the trash bin and picked it up with a tweezer, finding a single fingerprint. "I think we got a fingerprint after all. While our criminal was waiting for the data to copy, he treated himself to one of our noodle cups."

"He what?!" Jack exploded again.

"What a jerk!" Crow commented.

"Like me the other day, he was having a hard time with the cellophane, so he had to take his gloves off", Bruno assumed.

Yusei and Bruno went immediately to work to find out the identity of the fingerprint's owner. They had to hack into the Sector Security's data base, but they made sure the tracking would take five minutes for the government by placing out fake beacons around the globe. I got surprised when I saw Yusei had chosen Norway to place one of the fake beacons on.

It took just one minute for Bruno to crack the code and was about to break through the final firewall when we were met by the sight of a Duel Puzzle. I've heard of those back in my dimension; those were added in the DS games of this Yu-Gi-Oh! season, but I never got a chance to play any of the games.

"Huh?! What's going on? How come a Duel screen just popped up?" Crow asked.

"Looks like…an endgame", Yusei replied.

"They must have been using the endgame of a Duel, functioning as the main system's password", Bruno said.

"So if we don't win this Duel, we can't move forward?" Crow wondered.

"Yeah, that sums it up, and we got four minutes", Yusei told us.

"Oh, great, I mean, no pressure or anything", Crow commented.

"Don't worry, we can do this", Bruno said. "The opponent's got 2300 Life Points and we got a thousand. He got five Monsters on the field, and in his Spell and Trap card Zone he's got one face-down card."

"And there's an activated Spell in play. The Dark Door", Jack added.

Bruno nodded, "Right. Meanwhile, we've got Tragoedia in our field. It gains 600 attack points for every card in our hand. We're holding six in this point, so Tragoedia's packing 3600 attack points."

"So basically, we got to win this thing in one turn", Crow summarized.

"Our main worry is that face-down on his field. That's the clincher", Yusei said.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

After Crow and Jack failed with the Duel Puzzle, Bruno made it through the Duel Puzzle and he and Yusei could now identify the owner of the fingerprint. And it was a big surprise for the Satellite Trio, and partly for me too when the picture of the thief's popped up. I had nearly forgotten who the thief was.

"You know him?" Bruno asked us.

"Yeah, he's with Sector Security. His name is Lazar", Yusei said.

"It's been a while since we heard something from him", Crow commented.

"Except he left us a small fingerprint message that he was here last night", I said.

"I just can't believe it. It doesn't make sense! Why would he want to steal our engine design program?" Yusei wondered.

"I don't know, Yusei, but come on; proof is proof", Jack replied. "And his prints were here, so that means he must have been here too."

"But he's like a New Domino bigshot", Crow said. "Not exactly the breaking-in type. No one's gonna believe us!"

"Yes, so I say we go find the weasel and get him to confess the crimes straight out!" Jack replied.

"But why would he confess?" Bruno pointed out. "After all, if the guy's a thief, then it's a safe bet he's gonna be a liar as well." He turned to us. "Look, if he stole the program, then he's gonna be planning to do something with it. What if we were to follow him?"

"And then what?" Yusei questioned.

"Do what it's the natural thing to do to confront thieves", I said.

"Then if he does something suspicious, we just grab him!" Jack replied.

"Right! And catch him right-handed with our program!" Crow added.

Yusei nodded, "I like it."

Bruno turned back to the computer. "Great! I'll find out where he is now."

The blue-haired man was about to check Lazar's current location when Yusei placed a hand on his shoulder, getting his attention.

"Bruno, this program is about more than just lines of codes. It's about our dreams. It's about the bond we all share", Yusei told him.

"I know", Bruno replied.

"Then you know that we have to get it back at any cost", Yusei added.


	55. Catch Lazar and Dueling Robots

**My favorite parts were when the boys chased after the holograms of Lazar and when Lazar kept commenting/complaining about the Duel between Yusei and the Guard Robot. That was very entertaining to me. :)**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 55: Catch Lazar and Dueling Robots**

I decided to follow the guys on the mission to catch Lazar and get back the program. Bruno got his own simple Duel Runner from Sector Security the other day, so he could come along. I got to sit behind Yusei while I was wearing the helmet I got from Akiza.

You see, I already had a helmet back in Martha's house for the Duel Runner Yusei had built for me before I was denied to do the exams on getting driving license, so the guys let me keep the spare helmet in their place if I ever needed a helmet when I would tag along, like now.

We found out Lazar was by the Sector Security Headquarters, so we headed over there first to see if he would leave the building and head somewhere else with the program.

We hid behind a building and waited a while for any signs.

"You think this blob is ever gonna show?" Jack growled impatiently.

"Patience, Jack", I told him.

"Sadly, patience is not his middle name", Crow joked.

Yusei hushed us. "Guys, he's coming!"

We looked from the corner how Lazar stepped out of the huge building and up to a limousine. That was our cue to head to our Duel Runners and drive after the thief. We got settled and waited for the limousine to drive past the fork before we followed the vehicle.

Lazar must have noticed us following him because the limousine suddenly drove towards the big mall where Akiza and I had been shopping our dresses for the WRGP party.

"Why's he heading to the mall?" Crow wondered.

"Lazar must have spotted us and will try to get rid of us in the mall", I replied. "It's a common thing to do if you're being followed."

"Well, don't lose sight of him!" Jack said.

We stopped by a corner and watched Lazar step out of the limousine before entering the mall. The limousine left the parking place and that was our cue to follow Lazar. The guys locked their Duel Runners before we walked into the mall.

There were people shopping around and it seemed to be a small event going on because the majority of the children were holding balloons. Despite the crowd of people, we were able to find Lazar who walked around, acting like everything was okay.

We watched from a corner and saw him suddenly break the acting when he ran up to a noddle shop. "Oh, lunch!" Lazar exclaimed in delight.

"Shall we?" Jack asked.

Yusei nodded, "Yeah. Let's go get him."

"With pleasure!" Crow grinned.

"Operation "Catch Lazar" is on", I commented.

The guys looked at me with weird eyes. I retorted with my own expression and a shrug. "What? I always wanted to say something like that."

Jack grunted lightly before he left our corner. He walked up ahead, acting nonchalant and walking past Lazar, not focusing on him. Crow followed the blonde man with several meters space so they could trap Lazar. Said clown was busy to choose his lunch. Yusei, Bruno and I watched how Lazar finally realized he was cornered, and Jack and Crow jumped onto him and seized the small man.

"Stop! Unhand me!" Lazar yelled as Yusei, Bruno and I stepped up to the trio. "Don't you ninja-dorks have any idea who I am?!" He struggled a bit against the hold.

"Sure do! You're the guy who stole our program", Yusei replied.

"So give it back!" Bruno demanded.

Lazar calmed down and tried acting like he didn't know what the boys were talking about. "Ehh… What program is that?"

"Cut the routine! We found your fingerprints in our garage! We know that you were there!" Crow retorted.

"Uh-oh!" Lazar swallowed nervously.

"That's right! I guess this isn't the first time your appetite got you into trouble!" Jack growled as he rubbed his arms against Lazar's cheeks forcefully. "That Noodles Togogo was mine, by the way!"

"A common mistake as a thief, Lazar", I commented.

"Don't lecture him, Estelle!" Jack growled as he stopped rubbing his arms against Lazar's cheeks.

I nodded, "You're right. Let's check his pockets for the USB."

Lazar suddenly got a smirk on his lips. "Sorry, chants, I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm all out of breath." In the next second, Lazar popped out from Crow and Jack's arms and rolled in the air like an acrobat. The only thing that remained in the boys' grips was Lazar's jacket, pants and shoes.

When we turned to see Lazar landing, he had his clothes on, as if he had several of the same kind underneath his clothes. "See you on the flipside! Ta-ta!" He waved his hand and jumped up on the railing and ran on it! That was dangerous!

"Stop!" Jack shouted.

"After him!" Crow shouted.

The five of us ran immediately after Lazar. I was a bit faster than the guys due to all the training I had. I was just an arm-reach away to grab Lazar when he suddenly jumped up and made it to the next floor.

"He sure moves pretty fast on an empty stomach", Crow commented.

"Come on, guys! Hurry!" I told the boys and ran up ahead to the escalators.

I ran first in the line and pushed myself past the people as I shouted apologies along with the guys. "Pardon us!"

"Coming through!" Crow shouted.

"Out of the way!" Yusei added.

"Excuse me!" Bruno apologized.

We made it to the next floor and stood in a circle to look around in every direction. A couple of people were looking strangely at us, but we ignored them.

"Where is he?" Jack wondered.

"I don't see him", Crow growled.

"There!" Yusei pointed.

Lazar walked out of a store, almost acting like a robot, when a second Lazar followed the first one, acting in the very same way.

"Am I seeing double?" Bruno wondered.

"That looks double for me!" Crow said.

"Well, Estelle, which Lazar is the real one?" Jack asked.

"I don't know!" I confessed. "I never watched the episodes this far in my dimension!"

"Your dimension?" I heard Bruno mumble lowly next to me.

In the next second, both Lazars ran deeper into the mall.

"Then let's grab both of them!" Jack demanded before running.

We nodded and followed Jack, but I turned to look at the store where the two Lazars came out from when I ran past it. A toys store.

The two Lazars split up by a fork and ran at two different directions. We stopped by the fork, looking at both directions. There was only one way to do this.

"Come on, let's split up!" Jack told Yusei.

"Right!" Yusei nodded.

Jack and Crow ran after the Lazar that went to the left while Yusei, Bruno and I ran after the Lazar that went to the right. We nearly caught up with Lazar, but he was just too fast.

"Stop!" Bruno called.

But Lazar wouldn't stop running for that. However, I felt something was a bit odd with this Lazar. I didn't know what, but I knew my sixth sense was often right.

Yusei was running a bit faster than me now, but stopped running when a screwdriver flew past us and hit Lazar by his feet. Lazar suddenly disappeared, like a hologram, and that made Yusei stop running to look down at something. The action was so sudden I ran into Yusei, but thankfully the impact wasn't a strong one so we didn't fall down to the floor, but I had to grab on Yusei's jacket for a second.

"Sorry!" I apologized.

"It's okay", Yusei said before he picked up something from the floor. "A toy?"

That's right. A four-wheel toy that could make holograms had the same screwdriver stuck in a wheel that had flown past us.

"And not just any toy. It's the latest remote-controlled holo-mobile technology", Bruno said.

How did he know that if he had forgotten his memories?

"This whole time we've been chasing holograms", Bruno added.

"While the real Lazar made a run-for-it", Yusei said.

"We might still be able to catch up to him", I said.

The boys nodded before we ran back to the parking place to get the Duel Runners. We drove to a bridge above the parking place where we had a clear view. We spotted Lazar waving for a cab and climbed into it and drove away.

We followed the cab to a construction site by the harbor where they seemed to build new factories. We stopped by a corner and parked the Duel Runners so we could follow the last part on foot. We waited until the cab was out of sight before we sneaked up to a pile of debris and pipes.

Lazar had exited the cab and the vehicle drove away. Once things were clear, the clown walked towards a new factory that felt weird. It had the appearance of modern technology, but looked so simple.

"He's heading for that factory", Yusei stated, having his Duel Disk strapped on.

"He sure is", Bruno nodded. "Talk about suspicious."

"Yeah", Yusei said. "Whatever Lazar's planning on doing with that program of ours he swiped, my gut's telling me that he's gonna do it right now. So let's get ready, 'cause it's go-time."

"Then let's go", I said.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

We were able to find a way into the factory and walked together to see if we could find Lazar or anyone else, like someone who had paid Lazar money to steal the guys' design program.

The corridors were really dark, so it was a bit hard to see where we were going. I could feel shivers run down my spine, like the place was full of dark spirit and energy. Something from the corner of my eye caught my attention, so I turned to the right and spotted windows up ahead. "Guys." Yusei and Bruno turned to me as I walked up to the windows. "Look at this."

The boys stood next to me as we looked through the windows. It looked like a factory, but more like a spaceship factory. It gave me some Star Wars and Star Trek feelings, although I had never watched any of those movies.

"You've ever seen a factory like this one before?" Bruno asked. "It's like something out of the inside of a spaceship."

"Yeah, I never even knew this place existed", Yusei said. "I wonder what it is they build here."

In exactly that second, an alarm started echoing in the corridor. I got so surprised by it that I jumped a little. It was actually good that I got startled by the noise because I spotted a grid coming down from a door up ahead.

"Run, guys!" I shouted as I ran forward.

I heard Yusei and Bruno run behind me as I approached the soon-to-be sealed door. I jumped and rolled on the floor through the door and stopped when I was at safety. Yusei followed my example and made it, but Bruno tripped and never made it until the grid completely sealed the door.

"Bruno!" I called worriedly.

"Bruno, can you hear me?!" Yusei shouted.

"Yeah, Yusei, Estelle! I'm fine!" Bruno replied. "Just keep on Lazar!"

"You sure? We can try and pry open this door somehow", Yusei suggested.

"Forget it!" Bruno said. "You two go on ahead! I'll radio Jack and Crow!"

"Alright!" Yusei nodded.

"Be careful, Bruno!" I said.

"I will!" Bruno replied.

Yusei and I ran together through the corridor until we spotted a door up ahead. I was faster once again and I was ready to open the door when someone else did. I bumped into this new person and he fell down on the floor while I was still on my feet. But this person was exactly the one we had been chasing since morning.

"Lazar!" Yusei exclaimed with a glare.

"Finally got you", I added with my own glare.

"Uh-oh…", Lazar swallowed.

I took a look around in the big room we were in. It looked like a stockroom since it was big and long with rolling floor. Right now, the three of us were standing on a catwalk, having a good view of the place.

I heard Lazar gasp which brought me back my attention at the circumstances. Yusei had grabbed Lazar by the collar and held the shaking man. "Give us back the program, Lazar!"

"What program? You mean like a TV program?" Lazar tried making a fool out of us. "Sorry, I don't have any of those."

"Enough!" Yusei yelled and threw Lazar into the wall.

I could tell by the raven-haired man's body language and voice that he was losing his patience. Well, why wouldn't he after this long chasing?

"Hand it over right now, or else!" Yusei demanded as Lazar turned to us.

"Or else? Isn't that something you should say _before_ you slam a guy into a wall?" Lazar asked nonchalantely.

"That's it!" Yusei growled, clenching his hands into fists.

Lazar panicked at the boy's action, but I had a better idea. I stopped Yusei from hurting Lazar by grabbing his shoulder. Yusei looked over his shoulder to blink confusedly at me.

"Yusei, violence won't solve anything", I told him. "Hold him down while I check his pockets for the drive."

"Okay", Yusei nodded.

But before we could search Lazar, a rumble from the lower floor grabbed our attention. We walked up to the railing and saw a giant yellow robot coming up from a slot on the floor. And when I say big, it was big, but not as big as Optimus Prime from the Bayverse movies in my dimension. Lazar shook in fear and moved away a bit.

"What is that?" Yusei wondered.

"Definitely not a Transformer", I commented.

"A Trans-what?" Yusei arched an eyebrow.

The robot's four light bulbs glowed for a second before it looked towards us. Its optics glowed and seemed to analyze each one of us until it spoke with a mechanical voice.

"_Initiating premises lockdown._"

Lamps on the robot blinked while the whole room got sealed with two big gates, and even the door where Yusei and I came from got sealed.

"_Premises lockdown complete. Yusei Fudo, the only way to override lockdown protocol systems is by defeating me in a Duel_", the robot explained.

"A Duel?!" Yusei exclaimed in surprise. "Wait, so unless I can beat this bot in a Duel, Estelle and I are gonna be stuck here in this little factory room forever?"

"No, not just you two", Lazar added. "Me too, and spending the rest of my life here with you doesn't sound too appealing, so get Dueling already!"

"_Computing alternative options for Yusei Fudo and probability of accepting Duel conditions… Probability is 100%._"

"See?! You've got no choice but to Duel, and he did the math!" Lazar told Yusei.

"Enough out of you!" Yusei glared at the clown.

Lazar yelled out in slight fear and moved back.

Yusei looked at the robot for a moment, being in deep thoughts, before he turned to me. I saw his eyes questioning me if he should do it or not.

"You have to, Yusei", I told him. "It's the only way."

Yusei nodded before turning back to the robot. "Alright then! You want a Duel?" He jumped off from the catwalk and landed on the floor below to face the Guard Robot. "You got one!"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I had to confess; I never watched the whole season of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's back in my dimension. I stopped around the episode when Akiza took her exam for the Turbo Dueling license. So I had no idea what would happen next. I only knew bits and small parts from reading about the protagonists' biographies.

Lazar kept complaining about the Duel, especially Yusei's gameplay and how the Guard Robot kept negating his actions with Counter Trap cards. What was worse was the Continuous Trap card Counter Force. For each activated Counter Trap cards, Counter Force would gain one Charge Counter. The Guard Robot confessed it intended to defeat Yusei with the Trap, since every Charge Counter would inflict 1000 damage to Yusei's Life Points during the Guard Robot's Standby Phase. And four Charge Counters meant 4000 damage that would swipe Yusei's Life Points at once.

The Guard Robot made sure Yusei wouldn't be able to summon 4 or high level Monsters on the field with a Continuous Spell card, or Special summon Monsters due to Lock Dragon's special ability when in defense mode.

I think Yusei got a bit distracted by the Guard Robot's constant talking about probability and calculation on how the bot could counter back every move Yusei made. It must have shaken him up a bit because I could feel it through the bond with our Marks. I grabbed my right arm where my Mark was, rubbing it lightly. I felt like I had to remind Yusei something very important when it came to machines and AIs.

"Yusei!" I shouted, getting his attention. "Remember that a machine can never surpass the human brain! A computer is still a machine, a manmade object, meaning it lacks abilities that only the human being has!"

Yusei stared at me for a second before he nodded with a small smile. "Yeah!"

"Well said, Estelle!" Lazar smiled. "It's true that a computer can never replace a human brain, but right now…" His cheerful smile disappeared when he looked down at the Duel field. "…Yusei is going to need some luck to win this Duel."

"Don't we all need luck to get the right cards in a Duel?" I pointed out.

Lazar pouted, "True…"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

We were into the Duel when alarms suddenly started blaring in the stockroom and beyond. A female voice spoke from hidden loudspeakers.

"_Attention! This factory will self-destruct in ten minutes. Advised that all persons evacuee these premises immediately! Repeat; this factory will self-destruct in ten minutes. Advised that all persons evacuee these premises immediately!_"

"Oh, no…", I cold sweated, having a bad feeling. "Bruno…"

Where could he be right now? Did he also hear the warning? Did he contact Jack and Crow? So many questions appeared in my mind since I started panicking a little.

"This place is gonna blow in ten minutes?!" Yusei questioned.

Lazar panicked when he spotted a holographic screen that showed the countdown next to the Guard Robot. "Actually, not even! The clock's already ticking! And we're…locked up in this little rooooom!"

"Yusei, you better play faster so we can get out of here!" I told him, feeling sweat collecting on my palms as I held the railing.

"Will do!" Yusei nodded.

"_Yusei! Estelle! Can you hear me?!_" Crow's voice suddenly echoed from the loudspeakers.

The three of us turned to cameras that were spread all around in the room.

"_I think they can_", Jack's voice echoed next.

"_Yusei, Estelle, are you alright?_" Bruno's voice asked.

"Jack? Crow? Bruno?!" Yusei exclaimed.

"Thank God to hear you guys!" I sighed in relief.

"_Yeah, it's us! But what are you doing Dueling? Don't you know this whole place is about to blow? We gotta find a way out of here!_" Jack said.

"Well, we-", Yusei began.

"Of course we know!" Lazar interrupted. "But we're stuck here!"

"_Well, get unstuck!_" Crow told us. "_You don't have much time left!_"

"No, you don't understand, Crow", Yusei said. "This room is on lockdown, unless I win this Duel."

"_It's on what?!_" Crow exclaimed.

"_Lockdown?_" Bruno mumbled.

"_Then just beat that bucket of bolts already!_" Jack demanded.

"That's easier said than done! This bot's made so Yusei can barely even make a move!" Lazar replied. "So time is not on our side!"

"Forget about me! You guys just go!" Yusei told the trio.

"_What?!_" Bruno exclaimed.

"_No way!_" Crow said. "_We're not leaving you behind!_"

"Just trust me. I'm gonna be alright", Yusei assured the guys.

"And if things don't turn out in the way Yusei wants, then I'm jumping in", I added. "So don't worry about us."

"You're gonna be alright! What about me?! I'm here too!" Lazar panicked before he started begging to Bruno's group. "Please, my friends! Come rescue me!"

Lazar kept talking loudly next to me so I could barely hear Yusei talk to the guys and hear their replies. But I did hear once a crash coming from the loudspeakers. I calmed down when I felt it was Jack who had punched Bruno who didn't want to leave us behind.

"Believe?! Well, I don't…", Lazar kept on going with his begging.

I had long patience, but it was getting short thanks to the clown. "Shut up, Lazar!"

Lazar flinched by my sudden outburst and stopped begging Bruno's group to come help him.

"_Yusei, Estelle, we'll see ya outside!_" Crow said.

"Yeah! Now, just get going already!" Yusei told the trio.

"_Yusei… You better know what you're doing_", Jack said.

"_Good luck. Now, hurry up and win_", Bruno said.

"Right!" Yusei nodded. "That's the plan!"

Lazar cried waterfalls when he heard the echoing footsteps running away. "That's it. We're goners, right?"

"Wrong", Yusei replied. "I said I know what I'm doing. And I do."

I prayed for Yusei, hoping he would win the Duel. "May the stars be with you, Yusei…"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yusei was able to make it through the Duel and Synchro summon Stardust Dragon, and defeat the Guard Robot before it could be its turn and activate Counter Force to wipe out Yusei's Life Points.

The lockdown went on reverse, so the sealing went up from every doorstep, but we only had less than 15 seconds left before the factory would self-destruct!

"Let's go!" Yusei called before he ran off ahead.

"Coming!" I replied as I jumped down from the catwalk.

"You said it! Ruuuun!" Lazar shouted as he followed my lead.

I ran in the middle with Yusei on my right side and Lazar on my left side. I tried finding a way out of here, but I couldn't spot a single doorway that could lead us out. The female voice from before counted down from ten seconds now.

I realized I had no other choice but to use my powers. I grabbed Lazar's right wrist and Yusei's left hand. "Grab my hands and get ready to jump!" I announced.

I didn't see the guys' expressions since I focused on activating my powers while running. My Mark began glowing just as the whole factory began rumble before explosions sounded and fire came from every corner.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Bruno, Jack and Crow had made it out in time just before the factory exploded. The trio got pushed back by the force of the explosion and sent them on their stomachs. The guys covered their heads with their hands, protecting themselves from flying debris.

The noise of the explosion rang in their ears as the heat of the fire blew past them. Crow was the first person to get up when things calmed down a bit. He turned around and looked at the destruction with disbelief eyes. "Yusei! Estelle!"

"Where are they?" Bruno wondered when he got up from the ground.

Jack stood up with dread painted on his face. "They can't be!"

The trio watched the fire eating the remains of the factory with a giant cloud of smoke blowing up to the sky. The guys felt sadness reach them, thinking that Yusei, Estelle, and even Lazar didn't make it out.

But something among the smoke caught Crow's attention. It looked like a gentle red glow that flew through the smoke and out to the fresh air.

"Look! Up there!" the carrot-head pointed.

Three figures were flying in the air. Two of them held their hands with their carrier who was a crimson-clad woman with red bird wings on her back.

It was Estelle in her Warrior Form with Yusei and Lazar! All of them safe and sound!

"Yusei! Estelle!" Bruno sighed in relief, not caring about the weird and sudden transformation of Estelle's at the moment.

"Now that's blowing up!" Jack joked, letting go of the dread feeling.

"You were right to believe in Yusei, Jack", Bruno said.

"Yeah. I know", Jack shrugged, a bit of his ego coming back. "Besides, he had Estelle by his side. She's his heroine."

"Yep!" Crow grinned, "Yusei's girlfriend and heroine!"

Bruno looked surprised at the statement. "Estelle's Yusei's girlfriend?!"

"Actually, no", Crow replied.

"But Yusei's got feelings for her", Jack smirked. "And I'm sure she feels the same way."

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I had to admit; holding both Yusei and Lazar's hands was a bit straining. But thanks to the training and practice, I had more muscles in my arms now than before I arrived to this dimension.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, but I forgot to bring my Deck today", I told the guys.

"That's okay", Yusei replied. "We made it out alive. That's what it counts."

"It was a million to one shot that you were going to beat that bot at its own game. Thanks for saving the day, Yusei", Lazar commented before he let go of my hand to blow up a big balloon from his right wrist. "And though I'd love to stay and chat, I really must be leaving."

I landed on a grass hill with Yusei, still holding his hand, as we watched Lazar float away.

"Wait! What did you do with our program?!" Yusei shouted.

"Program? What are you talking about?" Lazar replied, gaining a small growl from Yusei. "Trust me, Yusei. It's far better that you don't know. You simply have no idea who and what you are up against. My advice is just let it go and forget this ever happened. Seriously! I'm not full of hot air here! Get it? Hot air? Like a balloon?" He let out a laugh that slowly died down as he floated away.

Yusei and I watched him float towards the main city of New Domino. I guess we failed to get back the program and also failed to get more information about the person Lazar delivered the program to. But I had a feeling it was one of the Three Pure Nobles.

Yells of our names caught our attention. Yusei and I turned around and saw Bruno, Jack and Crow running towards us with smiles on their lips. I turned to Yusei who smiled lightly at the sight of our friends.

I tugged his hand lightly, making him look at me. "Let's go to where we belong."

Yusei nodded and gripped my hand a bit tighter as we walked ahead to catch up with the trio. I transformed back to my real form while feeling happy to have such good friends.

No one could ever replace them.


	56. A Doppelganger

**Fufuu… It's finally time for two of my few favorite episodes. I'm going to change those episodes a bit…or, rather, a lot. You'll see. ;)**

**The chapter begins in normal point of view.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 56: A Doppelganger**

A bit more than a week had passed since the last event with Lazar stealing Yusei and Bruno's design program. Things had been as calm as it could be in a huge city like New Domino.

Right now, it was in the middle of the night, the majority of citizens sleeping in their homes. Most of them were having sweet dreams or nightmares, or some just couldn't fall asleep. Everyone in Martha's house, both children and adults, were tucked in bed and sleeping. None of them would have thought their night would get rudely interrupted by loud voices from outside.

Blister was the first person in the house to react. He yawned and got out of his bed and stepped out of the bedroom as he heard hard knocks echoing in the house. The knocks came from the front door.

"Open up in there!" a male voice from the other side of the door demanded.

"Coming, coming!" Blister yawned as he reached the door and began unlocking it. "What's all the noise about?"

Just as Blister unlocked the door, it slammed open by several Sector Security guys that stormed the house. Due to the sudden action, Blister got knocked down to the floor. He got up on his rump and rubbed his slight sore back. That impact had awakened him to 100 percent now.

One of the Sector Security men stepped up to him with a document in his hand. "Sector Security! We've got authorization to search these premises! Any interference will be considered as crime!"

Blister took a look at the paper before turning to the officer. "What are you looking for?"

"Living room clear!" one of the Sector Security guys called.

"Dining room clear!" another Sector Security guy called.

Martha, Mr. Bashford and Dr. Schmidt walked down the stairs, all three of them dressed in night clothes.

"What's this noise?" Dr. Schmidt asked, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Please be quiet, the children are sleeping", Martha told the officers.

"Check it upstairs!" one officer demanded.

Two to four Sector Security guys ran up the stairs and past the confused elders.

"What's going on?" Mr. Bashford wondered.

The children that were staying over in the house woke up and peeked out of their rooms. But some of them cried out loud in sudden fear when the Sector Security men threw open every door, as if they were searching for someone.

One officer opened a door that was connected to Estelle's bedroom. "She's in here, boys!"

Estelle got awakened by the noise from downstairs and was right now sitting on the bed. She had just put on her glasses when the Sector Security men stormed her room.

"Estelle Malmström, we've got a warrant for your arrest!" the first Sector Security man told her, holding a document. "You need to come down to Headquarters with us!"

Estelle's tired eyes widened in shock by the news. "Wait, what?!"

"Cuff her, Biggs!" the first Sector Security man said.

The Biggs guy pulled out a pair of handcuffs and pulled Estelle's left arm roughly to cuff her.

"What are you doing?!" Estelle asked as she was forced to stand up from her bed.

"Confiscating her Deck, sir!" a third Sector Security man said as he took the woman's Deck that laid on her nightstand.

The fourth Sector Security guy grabbed Estelle's red jacket and let it rest on her shoulders, just as the officers allowed her to put on her black boots, before two other men guided her to outside where vehicles were waiting.

"I haven't done anything wrong! I can assure you!" Estelle told the officers.

Martha rushed over to the officers. "Wait, why are you arresting Estelle?"

But the Sector Security men said nothing as they pushed Estelle into one of their cars. The Sector Security guys rushed to the vehicles and stepped inside them to drive away. The biggest truck carried Estelle's Duel Runner that hadn't been touched for months.

The children were looking out from the windows, but a few had grabbed the courage to walk down to the adults who watched the line of vehicles drive away with Estelle.

Martha felt worried for seeing Estelle being arrested without a reason. "I must call the boys…!"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The home phone in the dark garage rang for a long time until Bruno walked down from the kitchen and turned on the lights. He yawned loudly as he stepped over to the phone.

"Who's calling in the middle of the night?" the blue-haired man wondered. "I was having the best dream…" He grabbed the receiver and placed it against his left ear. "Hello-"

"_Yusei! Crow! Jack! Someone! It's an emergency!_" Martha's voice shouted.

Bruno moved away the receiver to rest his ear from the sudden assault, but placed it back when the ear got better. "I'll get one of them, ma'am. Who's this?"

"_Martha, their foster mother. And I take it you're their new roommate?_"

"Yes, ma'am. Give me a moment."

Bruno let the receiver dingle as he rushed upstairs and went to the floor above the kitchen. He knocked on Yusei's bedroom door before he opened it. "Yusei!"

The raven-haired man groaned in his sleep before he woke up by Bruno's voice. He sat up against the bed frame and rubbed his forehead. "What is it, Bruno? It's late…"

"Sorry, but Martha's on phone", Bruno said. "She sounds very upset and says there's an emergency."

"An emergency?!" Yusei jumped out of the bed and rushed out from his room.

Bruno stepped out of the room just as a sleepy Crow and an annoyed Jack walked out of their respective bedrooms.

"What's going on…?" Crow asked before yawning.

"I do need my valuable sleep, thank you very much", Jack growled irritated.

"Sorry, guys, but Martha called and she sounded very upset", Bruno replied.

Yusei rushed down to the garage and grabbed the receiver before placing it against his right ear. "Martha? What's happening?"

"_Oh, Yusei! Do you have any idea what Estelle did to get arrested by Sector Security?_"

Yusei's eyes widened in shock. "What?! Estelle got arrested?!" His voice was so loud that Jack and Crow came running down with Bruno. "What for?"

"_That's what I don't know. Sector Security refused to say anything. They just cuffed Estelle and took her with her Deck and Duel Runner._"

"Her Duel Runner?" Yusei arched an eyebrow. "She's not riding it illegally, right?"

"_Of course not! At least, not from what I know. Can you guys check her and find out what's going on?_"

"Yeah, we'll do that straight in the morning", Yusei nodded.

"_But before that, can you come over and fetch some clothes for her? They made her leave in only her nightgown, jacket and boots._"

"Sure, Martha."

Yusei ended the call and put back the receiver. It was deadly quiet after that.

"Estelle got arrested?" Crow asked in disbelief.

"This is ridiculous!" Jack glared. "From what I remember, she never did something that's considered as crime!"

"Maybe it's just a misunderstanding?" Bruno suggested.

"A misunderstanding that is so urgent they had to arrest Estelle in the middle of the night? Don't think so", Crow retorted.

"Guys, calm down", Yusei told his roommates. "We'll probably get answers in the morning when we go to Sector Security HQ."

"Why aren't you worried, Yusei? I mean, this is Estelle we're talking about!" Jack pointed out.

"Of course I'm worried, Jack!" Yusei retorted. "But doing something now won't do much good. Let's go back to sleep and focus on her in the morning."

Though the guys went unwillingly back to their bedrooms, except Bruno who was sleeping on the couch in the kitchen, Yusei was really worried about Estelle. What did she do to get into trouble?

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I had a hard time sleeping the rest of the night in a cell in Sector Security Headquarters. The bed was nice and soft, but I was worried sick about why I got arrested in the first place. I couldn't remember if I did something wrong.

In the morning, I got a parcel from Mina before I would get escorted to a room. That parcel held my clothes, so I changed into them and followed Mina to a room that was connected to a room above me. A part of the ceiling was glassed so I could hear and see things just like people could look down and talk to me.

I sat on a bench, intertwining my hands as I heard Mina and Trudge showing Yusei's group the same videotapes they had showed me when I had arrived to the HQ.

Apparently, the videotapes showed me driving my Duel Runner on Turbo Dueling courses close to the Gleemen Highway while Dueling other Turbo Duelists and showed aggressive actions toward my opponents. The other thing that shocked me the most was Star Eater had been showed on the tapes as well.

None of this made sense. I never drove my Duel Runner after I got told I couldn't take the exams for driving license. The Duel Runner had been collecting dust in the garage next to Martha's house. Plus, Star Eater was a one-of-a-kind Monster card. No one else could have it. But something about his colors on the tape seemed a bit off…

Yusei and the guys told Trudge and Mina about a small incident that happened a week ago. It was during one of our martial arts training when I had been absent-minded that I got easily kicked down by the others. The reason why I haven't been focusing was because I thought about the last few incidents with Niklas, Linda and Hanna. Three people from my past showing up in this dimension. Why did Yliaster bring them to this dimension? Was it to manipulate me and make me bring back the old painful feelings from the past? Because of that explanation, I got into a small argument with my friends that I should let go of those thoughts and focus on the present and future. But it was hard for me. They just wouldn't understand what I've been through in life. I could also be a very emotional wreck, as Yusei had witnessed after the battle with Niklas in March.

"What's gotten into you, man?! We have a fight and you take it out on innocent random?!" Crow asked me from the glass ceiling above me.

"I would never do such thing! I'm innocent!" I retorted, turning my back to him.

"You don't seem innocent!" Crow retorted. "That was your Duel Runner slamming into that poor sap, and that was Star Eater tearing the sky! How could that possibly be someone else?!"

"All I know is that I didn't do what I didn't do", I replied, crossing my arms to keep myself calm.

I heard Crow snort before his speech turned out to be really hurtful to me. "Right. I think I know what's going on here. Since you're a pathetic scared kitty who can't face her old fears and keep eating on it even today, you try to ruin our team's name! You try to drag us all by making yourself a bad person!"

I froze when I heard Crow talk to me like that. Those words he used hit the old wound that had almost healed after my suffering in the childhood and ripped it up again. Was Crow truly thinking about me like that, or was his anger taking over him and made him talk nonsense?

It was hard for me to tell, but I could sense through the bond with the Marks how angry Crow was at me, assuming I was the real culprit.

"Is that what you really think about me, Crow…?" I asked with a slightly shaking voice, holding back the storm of emotions as I kept my back turned to him.

"Yeah, because I still really don't know about you…", Crow continued as I heard Yusei telling him to stop hurting me verbally. "…And it could be your old dark side is coming back…" I heard Yusei tell him again to stop. "…And is trying to take control over you so that you can hurt us again, like you did last time!" The last part was referred to the finale of the Dark Signers event.

I couldn't hold back the tears and let them leak from my eyes. I turned around to look up and saw Yusei had wrapped his arms around Crow's abdomen to pull him back from the glass ceiling as Crow looked amused at what he managed to accomplish. To upset me.

"Even if my dark side would come back…", I bit my lower lip to hold back the incoming sobs. "…I would never hurt you."

I turned around and held my head down as I got escorted out from the room back to my cell. I could hear Crow yelling to me. "Have fun not having any friends!"

**XXXXXXXXXX – Akiza's POV**

I just couldn't believe what I read and heard from the media ever since morning. Estelle got arrested, accused for not only driving a Duel Runner illegally but also participating in Turbo Duels and engaging violent actions against her opponents.

I didn't believe in that. Estelle was a very kind and helpful woman. She prioritized everyone else before herself. She was a selfless woman. The reporters did keep saying that Estelle was denying the charges, so there was just no way she was the real culprit.

I was on my way to my next class when I spotted three girls in my grade watching the news on one of their cell phones.

"Guess we have to find a new idol, girls", the owner of the cell phone told her friends.

"So many autographs to tear up…in so little time!" the girl with brown-red hair exclaimed.

The third girl looked over her shoulder and spotted me. "Doesn't she know her?"

Her two friends saw me as well standing in the background. I just cast a sad expression before I moved on to the classroom.

I let out a sigh and looked up to see Sora standing outside of the classroom. She was leaning against the wall with one foot and her arms crossed. Her eyes were closed, but she opened them when I was close to the door to the classroom. She pushed herself off from the wall and walked over to me.

"Are you okay?" Sora asked.

"Huh?" I blinked confusedly.

"About your friend", Sora added.

I gaped when I realized she was talking about Estelle. "Not really… But I believe she's not the one who's behind the crimes."

Sora nodded before she walked past me. "Keep believing in her."

I turned around to watch the blue-haired girl walk to her classroom. I couldn't help but smile lightly. Sora had been lately interacting with me, and slowly opening up. I guess it had to do with that I spoke to her every once in a while.

Just like what Estelle did for me. She had talked to me and that helped me open up and accepting new people.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

In Leo and Luna's classroom, Sly was actually trash-talking about Estelle.

"How is this surprising? The gal is nothing but a cocky washed-up jerk, and let's face it! All washed-up jerks eventually crack!" Sly told to his classmates.

"She says she's innocent!" Dexter defended the former Queen of Games.

Leo had enough of Sly's trash-talking about his big sister figure and grabbed Sly by the collar of the school uniform, bringing him up to his face.

"Let me go!" Sly protested.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Leo retorted. "If Estelle says she didn't do it, then she didn't do it!"

"Right", Sly snorted. "You would take her side, Leo."

Leo growled and pushed down Sly on the floor, trying to strangle him. But Luna and Laila held him back from doing that. "What's that supposed to mean? You don't know anything about anything!" the twin-boy yelled.

"Leo, stop it! Let him go!" Luna begged.

Leo listened to his sister and let go of Sly, but he didn't help the lone-wolf up on his feet.

"How can you talk about Estelle like that, Sly?" Laila spoke up. "Didn't you say you started looking up to her after the spring picnic we had? How can you call yourself a fan of Estelle's when you won't support her when she needs help?!"

Sly adjusted the collar of his school uniform and walked out of the classroom with a snort. Leo growled at his classmate's action, but held himself back so he wouldn't do anything stupid.

Both Luna and Laila were really worried about Estelle too. If Estelle said she wasn't the one committing the crimes, then who would?

**XXXXXXXXXX – Carly's POV**

I was having an argument with my boss about an article I wrote about Estelle, concerning the latest news. I didn't believe she would commit crimes, but my boss didn't like my ideas…as always.

"_What is this dribble you just sent me, Carly?! I told you to vip up something scandalous!_"

"Everyone who knows Estelle _insists_ that there's no way she's guilty", I retorted, looking at the mini-holographic boss. "They say that she's nice, and loyal, and honorable, and-"

"_The public wants to read about dirt! Not the sunshine! You dig me up some dirt really quickly, or you're fired!_" my boss threatened me before he ended the call.

"I can't just make something up!" I retorted before I let out a sigh.

How in the world could I write something that wasn't true about Estelle, and something that my boss wanted to? I didn't want to do that. She was my friend. She helped me becoming a journalist thanks to the exclusive interview after the Fortune Cup.

I wanted to help Estelle. If there was a fake Estelle out there… Wait! What if that was it?! Then that meant I had to find that fake Estelle and expose her to the public!

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

The Signers and Bruno had gathered in the Satellite Trio's home to talk about the circumstances concerning Estelle.

"So you weren't able to learn anything else?" Akiza asked.

"Not really", Yusei shook his head.

"That's your fault, Crow", Bruno told said person. "You really shouldn't have gone off on her like you did."

"Yeah, yeah, that was my bad, I know", Crow confessed. "I don't know what happened. I just lost my temper."

"So do you think she did what they're saying she did?" Leo asked.

"It's looking pretty bad at this point", Yusei replied. "If there _is_ a fake Estelle out there… Well, she hasn't appeared since Estelle's arrest and Estelle doesn't have a single alibi for any of the incidents on video."

"So unless a new evidence is brought forward, then they're just gonna lock her up and that's that?" Bruno wondered.

Yusei hesitated for a second, but nodded as answer.

"No way!" the twins gasped in fear.

"But she didn't do it, right? There must be something we can do to prove that!" Akiza said with a worried voice.

"Like what?" Yusei wondered.

"I got it!" Leo exclaimed. "There's clearly someone out there pretending to be Estelle! So we gotta get out there and find her and then drag her to justice's door!"

"How do we do that, detective? Do you have any clues or leads or anything?" Luna asked her brother.

Leo's excitement died down just as fast as it had appeared.

"Look, guys, I think it's best if we leave this up to Trudge for now", Yusei suggested.

Jack had stayed all quiet with his arms crossed and a very pondering expression. Bruno noticed that and walked up to the blonde man.

"Jack?" Bruno called.

Jack snapped out of his thoughts and looked up. "Yeah?"

"You've been quiet this whole time. What're you thinking about?" Bruno asked.

Jack let out a sigh through his nose. "Something about Star Eater seemed a bit off on the video…"

Everyone turned their attention at Jack.

"What do you mean?" Yusei asked.

"Well… Something about the color scheme didn't seem right", Jack pointed out. "Some parts of him looked to be more yellow than red and orange as he's supposed to be."

"The light and dark must have played tricks on you, Jack", Crow snorted. "After all, Estelle was Turbo Dueling during the night."

"If it really was her…", Yusei mumbled to himself, feeling really conflicted about the situation.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I sat on the bed in my cell, curled into a ball as I rested my chin on the knees. I was really scared and feeling down after what Mina had told me a couple of hours ago. She said the case was closed and they would no longer have an investigation. She and almost everyone else in Sector Security assumed I was the real criminal while I knew I wasn't.

I couldn't remember when the last time was when I had felt so betrayed and lost. Mina and Trudge were the two closest people I knew in Sector Security and they didn't believe in me, and they were adults too. Crow had talked me down with harsh words that I took to my heart and he had really sounded like he was angry at me and didn't believe in me. And none of the other Signers had checked up on me to see how I was doing, or if they were trying to do something to help me.

I let some bitter tears collect in my eyes at the thought of being abandoned. That was actually my current status now. Abandoned in this dimension, all because of a fangirl dressing like me and driving a Duel Runner like mine, and even had a copy of Star Eater.

But some aspects were actually not right. Like with Star Eater and my Duel Runner.

Before I could keep thinking, I heard a small explosion noise coming from the cell door before a beeping noise came from said door. I stood up from the bed and walked over to the door to see that it was unlocked.

Did someone just help me?

I had no more time to think. An alarm went off and it was my cue to leave. I used my power to find my Deck while knocking down a couple of Sector Security guys who tried to arrest me. After I grabbed my Deck, I let Galaxy Serpent help me find my Duel Runner which went quickly. I got on the Duel Runner and put on the helmet and placed the Deck in the Deck slot before I drove off. The garage was strangely open, so I could drive out before anyone could stop me.

You would think that I didn't know how I should handle a Duel Runner, but I did remember how to drive it and even have a Turbo Duel after what Yusei had taught me a long time ago. After all, I did have a very good memory.

If you didn't remember how my Duel Runner looked like, then I'll tell you now. My Duel Runner had the same shape as Akiza's first Runner before it got upgraded. But my Runner had three wheels; one on the front and two on the back. The color was yellowish and golden, my two favorite colors.

I drove on the highway, hoping to find the imposter who pretended to be me and caused such disturbance.

Only minutes into the searching, I heard the noise of a Duel Runner behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see a dark yellow Duel Runner that looked just like mine drive up to me. And the one who sat on it had the same outfit as me. I couldn't see the face of the driver since it was covered by the face shield of the helmet, but she did have long and wavy brown hair like me.

The driver let out a hideous laugh. "You finally made it. I was worried you didn't have it in you."

"What do you mean? Who are you?" I asked.

"Everyone knows who I am", the driver replied. "My name is Estelle Malmström."

I couldn't help but glare at the imposter. "Why are you driving around and pretending to be me?"

"Don't be absurd! You're not Estelle Malmström. Estelle is a champion and a real Duelist. You're just a wannabe has-been!" the imposter retorted.

"Oh, really?" I retorted sarcastically.

"Estelle Malmström wouldn't need outside-assistance to escape, would she?" the imposter said.

My eyes widened at the information. "Are you saying it was you who broke the lock on the cell door?"

The imposter nodded before she rammed me with her Duel Runner. I didn't see that action coming, so I lost control and spun around backwards. I did spot a car coming towards me, so I had to maneuver my Duel Runner so there wouldn't be a crash.

Since there were no cars on the other lane, I harshly tugged my Duel Runner and drove aside just seconds before a crash could occur. I quickly gained control of my Duel Runner and drove back to the imposter.

"Hey, that was dangerous! People could have got hurt!" I told the fangirl.

The imposter just laughed and rammed me again, but I was ready this time and didn't lose control of my Duel Runner. I decided to counter back with my own rams at the imposter's Duel Runner.

"That's the look I wanted to see! That's the spirit! Come at me like a starving beast on a hunt!" the imposter provoked me.

"What do you want?!" I demanded.

"I want a Duel", the imposter replied. "You're not scared of Dueling the great champion, are you?"

"If you're a fan of mine, then you must know I declined the title of the Queen of Games", I told her. "But if it's a Duel you want, then I'll give you one… Only if you promise you will stop with this nonsense and stop dressing like me and remake your Duel Runner!"

The imposter nodded, agreeing on the terms. "That's a good champ. Now, let's find out who the real Estelle Malmström is!"

"Activating Speed World 2!" both the imposter and I exclaimed as we activated said Field Spell cards.

"_Duel mode engaged._"

The field got a bit brighter due to the activation of the Field Spell, but a strange white light appeared under my and the imposter's Duel Runners. I had a very bad feeling about it.

"_A Turbo Duel is about to commence. Combat lane figuration on way. All non-Dueling vehicles must evacuate the combat lane immediately._"

The imposter and I drove to one of the official Turbo Dueling courses and out from the highway. A gate opened and allowed us to drive on the course. Now, no one could interrupt us during the Turbo Duel.

"You're going down!" I told the imposter with a glare.

"Don't be so sure!" the imposter smirked.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**The Turbo Duel is in the next chapter, so don't worry; I'm not skipping it. ;)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Sora Sakamoto belongs to **_**Akane Raikou**_**.**

**Laila Noble belongs to **_**Springflowerangel**_**.**


	57. VS Imposter

**Estelle's first Turbo Duel! I'm pretty excited about it! …Although, I would say it's an illegal Turbo Duel, considering how she don't have a driving license or a Turbo Dueling license.**

**And sorry for the short chapter, but I wanted to have this Duel in its own chapter.**

**The chapter begins in normal point of view.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 57: VS. Imposter**

Back at the garage, Akiza and the twins had stayed over for the night, but had fallen asleep. They didn't want to leave the guys in case they got some news about Estelle, and they surely did when Yusei answered his cell phone when Trudge called.

"What'd you say?! Estelle busted out?!" Yusei exclaimed.

Akiza and the twins woke up by the sudden loud voice. Leo got so startled that he fell off the couch.

"_Look, if she comes to you guys, you have to let me know, Yusei_", Trudge told Yusei.

"Yeah, I will", Yusei nodded and ended the call.

"Wait, so Estelle escaped?" Akiza asked.

"Escaped escaped?" Luna asked to be certain.

"How can she do something so dumb?!" Crow exclaimed in shock.

Leo got up from the floor. "She's probably hoping to catch the real criminal!"

"If that's true, then where would she go?" Yusei wondered.

The Satellite Trio thought for a couple of seconds before they exclaimed at once. "The Gleemen Highway!"

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I realized the imposter and I were close to the Gleemen Highway where the imposter had been seen around and causing disturbance for other Turbo Duelists.

**Imposter: 4000 = SPC: 0**

**Estelle: 4000 = SPC: 0**

"I do hope you're hungry, 'cause I'm serving humble pie", the imposter commented.

"Then draw already!" I told her irritated.

The imposter laughed before she drew the sixth card for her hand. "I summon Vylon Stella in defense mode!"

Said Tuner Monster appeared and went all blue due to its defense position.

**Vylon Stella, Level 3: DEF 200**

"Wait, that's my Monster!" I exclaimed in surprise.

"I place three cards face-down and end my turn", the imposter declared.

I couldn't help but feel I was forgetting something. Didn't I read before in my dimension how Jack had an imposter and Dueled him? Then… What if _this_ was supposed to be that part?! But the thing was that it was me Dueling a fake Estelle. How come I took Jack's place? And where did the imposter get copies of my cards?

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and make a move. I need a good chuckle", the imposter teased.

"I'll give you a good chuckle, all right!" I retorted. "I draw!"

**Imposter: 4000 = SPC: 0 – 1**

**Estelle: 4000 = SPC: 0 – 1**

Okay, now that I had one Speed Counter, I could start using Speed Spells if the amount of Speed Counters I had were enough to activate certain cards. Most cards needed two or more Speed Counters in order to activate, but there were a few that just needed one Counter.

I took a closer look at my hand. I had Vice Dragon, Fire Ant Ascator, Oasis of Dragon Souls, Speed Spell - Dragon's Gunfire, Masked Dragon, and Blizzard Dragon.

Okay, the only good thing I could do was to Synchro summon Sun Dragon Inti. Besides, I had to go straight into tough mode as soon as possible if the imposter had something planned.

"When you got a Monster on your field and I don't, I can Special summon Vice Dragon!" I declared.

Vice Dragon came out from a portal and growled warningly at the imposter.

**Vice Dragon, Level 5: ATK 1000**

"Next I summon the Tuner Monster Fire Ant Ascator!" I continued.

The insect came out from another portal and floated in the air next to Vice Dragon.

**Fire Ant Ascator, Level 3: ATK 700**

"And now Fire Ant Ascator tunes Vice Dragon!" I shouted as my two Monsters shot up to the sky and joined together for the Synchro summoning. "I Synchro summon the king of the sky, the guardian of the sun… Sun Dragon Inti!"

The male celestial dragon shone as the sun as he appeared above me. His four heads growled in happiness to be out and take down the imposter.

**Sun Dragon Inti, Level 8: ATK 3000**

"Sun Dragon Inti, take down Vylon Stella with Sunlight Blaster!" I commanded.

Sun Dragon Inti's sun stone shone as the four heads collected energy in their mouths. Once they had collected enough energy, the four heads unleashed four beams simultaneously at Vylon Stella.

But due to the Tuner Monster being in defense mode, the imposter didn't suffer from losing Life Points. But I was going to change that.

"I activate the Dragon's Gunfire Speed Spell!" I activated said card. "With this and when I have a dragon on my field, I can give you 800 points of direct damage!"

Sun Dragon Inti spat a fireball at the imposter, making her flinch a bit.

**Imposter: 4000 – 3200 = SPC: 1**

**Estelle: 4000 = SPC: 1**

"I place one card face-down and end my turn", I said, placing the Oasis of Dragon Souls card in the Spell/Trap card zone.

"Pathetic", the imposter suddenly said, catching my attention. "Is this a joke? Are you trying to mock me with this poor effort?" Her eyes seemed to glow through the non-transparent face shield of her helmet. "Nobody insults me! I busted you out because I thought you might actually challenge me, but you're Dueling like a second-rate bitch, hoping to get a laugh! You aren't worthy of Dueling the champion! Your very presence is an insult! And no one… No one insults the great Estelle Malmström!"

I felt my hands suddenly shaking in fear. This imposter acted like the greedy and selfish side of me that was deep within me. But that wasn't truly the real me. This imposter acted more like how Jack used to be when he was the King of Games.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Yusei, Crow and Jack were driving around on the Gleemen Highway, hoping to find Estelle and shake out some answers from her. It was then Crow noticed one of the Turbo Dueling courses was online.

"Yusei, Jack, heads up! Check out the signs!" the carrot-head called.

"Someone's Dueling up ahead!" Yusei concluded.

"Well, do you think it's Estelle?" Crow asked.

"Only one way to find out!" Jack told his foster brothers.

The trio drove off to find a gate and get on the course to catch up with Estelle and her Dueling opponent.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

"Now, get ready, little bitch", the imposter smirked. "On this next move, I'm gonna prove to you that I'm the real Estelle Malmström!"

I had bad taste in my mouth due to the imposter's words, especially when she called me a bitch. I hated when people used such vulgar words to insult others. To me, that was a very childish and immature way to talk.

"And how will you do that?" I asked.

"Just watch!" the imposter replied as she drew a new card.

**Imposter: 3200 = SPC: 1 – 2**

**Estelle: 4000 = SPC: 1 – 2**

"Since you've got a Monster with more than 2000 attack points, I can Special summon Schwarzschild Limit Dragon to the field!" the imposter said.

One of the dragons I used to have in my old Deck came out from a portal and flew above the imposter with a growl.

**Schwarzschild Limit Dragon, Level 8: ATK 2000**

"Next I activate the Shockwave Trap card!" the imposter activated one of her face-downs.

My eyes widened in shock. "Isn't that Jack's Trap card?!"

"Your sad little attempt to wither away in my power helps me satisfy the requirements needed to activate this Trap", the imposter said. "When I have fewer Life Points than you, I can send out Shockwave and destroy one Monster on the field and we'll both take damage equal to its attack points! Say goodbye to your Sun Dragon Inti!"

A giant shockwave came out from the Trap card and hit Sun Dragon Inti. My dragon roared in pain before he shattered into pieces. The shockwave then reached both me and the imposter. I couldn't help but cry out in pain when I felt the electricity rush through me. I didn't expect the damage becoming real. I nearly lost control of my Duel Runner, but I kept it straight.

**Imposter: 3200 – 200 = SPC: 2**

**Estelle: 4000 – 1000 = SPC: 2**

Strangely, the imposter didn't react on the shockwave as I did. She just let out another hideous laugh. "This is how a champ does things! This Duel isn't just about our Life Points, is it? No, no, little bitch. This Duel is about our lives!"

I arched an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? You just lost the same amount of Life Points as I did! You're not winning yet!"

"If I would have gone full force, you would've been finished in an instant", the imposter said. "But I don't want to finish you just yet. I intend to play a little Cat-and-Mouse."

"Then I activate my Trap card Oasis of Dragon Souls!" I shouted as I activated said Trap card. "With this, I can Special summon a Monster from my Graveyard in defense mode, and I choose Vice Dragon!"

Vice Dragon returned to the field with a slightly different look than usual.

**Vice Dragon, Level 5: DEF 2400**

"But due to the Trap card's effect, Vice Dragon is now a wyrm-type Monster, but it doesn't matter", I said.

Okay, now I could defend myself with Vice Dragon. The reason why I didn't use the Trap card to Special summon Sun Dragon Inti was to let it stay there until I could Synchro summon Moon Dragon Quilla. That way, if Moon Dragon Quilla would get destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I could then Special summon Sun Dragon Inti back to the field.

"I activate my Trap; Call of the Haunted!" the imposter declared, activating her second Trap card.

"Call of the Haunted?!" I exclaimed in shock.

"With it, I can Special summon a Monster from my Graveyard in attack mode, and I summon Vylon Stella!" the imposter said as her Vylon Stella came back to the field.

**Vylon Stella, Level 3: ATK 1400**

"No way!" I exclaimed.

"But before I end this, I activate my last Trap", the imposter told me. "Dust Tornado!"

"NO!" I let out a loud cry, feeling sweat running down my cheek.

"And you sure know what it does, right?" the imposter teased. "I can destroy a card in your Spell/Trap card zone, and if I want to, I can place a new Trap card face-down on my field. But I choose not to do that and just go and destroy your Oasis of Dragon Souls!"

The Trap card let out a tornado that shattered my Continuous Trap card. And because it was destroyed, Vice Dragon was sent back to the Graveyard.

But now… I had nothing that could help survive this turn!

"Did you honestly think I would attack you with Schwarzschild Limit Dragon without powering it up? What a laugh", the imposter chuckled. "A champion doesn't bother trying to chip away. A champion goes full force! Remember, I am New Domino City's Shining Star! I rule the Duel!" My heart suddenly skipped a beat because of fear and confusion. "This champion is gonna take you to the next level! Schwarzschild Limit Dragon gets a tuning from Vylon Stella!" Said Monster united in a bright white light.

A Level 11 Monster? …No, it just couldn't be! I felt my brain nearly melt by the pure shock when I spotted the familiar silhouette in the white light and heard a familiar dragon cry.

"I Synchro summon…STAR EATER!" the imposter declared.

An exact copy of Star Eater teared to the sky as small flames fell from its wings. But I noticed something weird immediately. This Star Eater's color scheme was not the same as mine. My Star Eater's scales were mostly red and orange, but this Star Eater was completely yellow.

**Star Eater, Level 11: ATK 3200**

"This is just impossible! Star Eater is a one-of-a-kind Monster, and he's only in my Deck!" I exclaimed.

This fake Star Eater growled warningly at me while its eyes glowed with hatred, as if it was trying to tell me that I wasn't worthy of having a powerful dragon in my Deck.

"I'm afraid this time around, Star Eater will be attacking you directly!" the imposter shouted.

The fake Star Eater collected energy in its mouth before it unleashed a powerful fire blast at me. I didn't know what to do. I just watched the flames as I kept driving until the fire blast him me and my Duel Runner so hard that I got pushed back and spun around violently on the Turbo Dueling course.

**Imposter: 200 = SPC: 2**

**Estelle: 1000 – 0 = SPC: 2**

I could hear myself scream in terror and for help. And before I knew it, I had crashed through the barrier of the course and flew out from it with the thick shattered glass flying in the air around me. The weird thing was I had never let go of my Duel Runner. Even now when I was falling down towards the ocean below me, I still held onto my Duel Runner.

But questions were filling my brain. How could someone else have a Star Eater card? And how could she use my combos for my old Deck? Who was she?!

I saw the imposter drive up to the broken barrier and watched me falling with the fake Star Eater flying above her. The Turbo Dueling course seemed to be on fire due to the dragon's fire attack.

"When an engine burns out, you replace it for the better one. An upgrade!" the imposter shouted. "And you, my little bitch, have definitely burned out! So I guess that makes _me_ your upgrade!"

My eyes widened in shock when I finally saw the imposter's face through the face shield that went from non-transparent to transparent. She had the exactly same face as me! Even the eyes and glasses were spot-on. But there was one thing I noticed. The imposter had some kind of marks on her face, just below her eyes.

But before I could do anything to save myself, I fell into the cold water of the ocean and everything turned black to me.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

When Estelle fell into the ocean with her Duel Runner close to a cliff that was connected to the mainland, the big splash made it up to the Turbo Dueling course and extinguished the fire around the fake Estelle. The imposter had a satisfied smile on her face. Finally, the real Estelle Malmström was down.

But the noise of three engines approached the part of the Turbo Dueling course where the hole in the barrier was. Yusei, Jack and Crow had made it to see the hole in the barrier, the fake Star Eater flying in the air and a familiar Duel Runner with a familiar driver on it.

The fake Star Eater growled to the fake Estelle which made her turn around with her Duel Runner to cast a smirk at the trio that had just arrived. Sadly, the trio couldn't see her face with the weird marks below her eyes, so they didn't know that she was an imposter.

"Estelle, what are you doing?" Yusei asked her.

"Running only makes you look guilty!" Crow pointed out.

"So stop with this nonsense already!" Jack demanded.

The fake Estelle just chuckled with her smirk painted on her lips before she made a move with her hand. It was a sign for the fake Star Eater.

The dragon breathed out fire around the Satellite Trio which made them cry out in sudden surprise. They all closed their eyes to shield themselves from the fire before it died down.

When the trio felt the attack was done, they looked up to see the fake Estelle and Star Eater had disappeared. The imposter had taken the opportunity to leave while the young men had been occupied to protect themselves.

"She's gone…", Crow mumbled.

Yusei felt even more worried now than before. Had Estelle lost it? It just didn't make sense.

Crow was still a bit angry for Estelle's actions, not understanding why she did what she did.

Jack, however, had noticed something was off with Star Eater again. He started getting a bad feeling about this Star Eater he had just seen.

The young men were unaware that the real Estelle and her Duel Runner were somewhere in the ocean underneath them. The waves pushed themselves up the cliffs and licked the rocks before they retired to the ocean.

But they left behind one certain evidence.

The card of the real Star Eater.


	58. A Miraculous Revenge

**Oh, my! Over 200 reviews?! Thank you guys so much for all your support and liking this story! I've never once reached 200 reviews with a really old story of mine that I deleted years ago.**

**Be prepared that Estelle will get a new Deck. One that I have in real life. It's a bit better than the last one. I want to give my thanks to the DA user "threatningroar" for helping me customizing my Dragon Deck by dedicating this chapter to him. And make sure to check out his account; he's working on a great YGO 5D's comic with an interesting plot. ;)**

**The link to Estelle's new Deck is up!**

**WARNING! Long chapter!**

**The chapter begins in normal point of view.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 58: A Miraculous Revenge**

The group of Signers and Bruno sat in the kitchen to watch the latest news. Luna, Leo and Akiza sat on the couch, Yusei sat on the armrest next to Luna, Bruno sat on a stool close to the TV, Crow sat on a chair, and Jack was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"_This is Angela Raines reporting. Estelle Malmström, the former Queen of Games now charged with assault, has escaped from custody and is currently at large. Sector Security is advising citizens to avoid major highways if possible. Anyone with information pertaining to Malmström's whereabouts should contact the local authority-_"

Bruno shut off the TV, not wanting to let his friends hear more of the news about Estelle. After last night's incident, the mood in the group wasn't on the top. They were all lost, confused, angry, disappointed, worried, you name it.

"We don't have information pertaining to her whereabouts, do we?" Leo wondered out loud.

Akiza turned to Yusei. "You said you saw her last night on the highway. She didn't say anything?"

"No, not really", Yusei shook his head. "It was weird. She just smirked and took off." His eyes shone with worry. *_Estelle… What is going on with you?_* His heart beat a bit faster, worrying that something was wrong with his crush.

"So the only thing we can do now is to keep looking for her?" Luna asked.

"Yeah", Bruno nodded.

Crow turned to Jack, seeing he was in deep thoughts again. "Jack! Wake up!"

Jack growled lightly when he looked up. "I am awake, Crow! I'm just…questioning something."

"About what?" Yusei asked, turning his attention at the blonde man.

"It's about Star Eater", Jack replied. "Last night, when we saw Estelle and Star Eater, the dragon's scales looked way too yellowish to me. And I've got to see it closer and for real instead on a videotape."

"Again with the color scheme talk, Jack?" Crow snorted. "It's getting too old now."

"Well, I'm the only one who got to Duel against Estelle's ace dragon during the Fortune Cup, so I _know_ how Star Eater looks like!" Jack retorted.

"We all know how Star Eater looks like, Jack", Akiza pointed out.

"Anyway, it's a good thing it's Saturday, so we can spend the whole day looking for Estelle!" Leo said in excitement.

"Okay, everyone. We'll split up in groups and search through New Domino City and Satellite", Yusei told the group. "We'll get back here at 6 PM to see if someone has found a clue. If someone's not back by then… Well, it can only mean he or she got a lead about Estelle."

"Right!" the others nodded.

The group headed down to the garage and mounted their Duel Runners. The twins put on their helmets, knee- and elbow pads before they stepped on their Duel Boards. When everyone was set to go, they drove out from the garage and out to the streets to commence the search of the Crimson Star Priestess.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Carly's POV**

I was so angry at my boss. He demanded me to write trash about Estelle, but I was not having it!

"I'm telling you Estelle is innocent! I'm not gonna write some hacky smear-piece!" I slammed my hand on my boss's desk. "I bet your ten to one that she busted out because she's trying to clear her name!"

"Listen, I didn't ask you to write _your_ theories! I asked you to write _my_ theories, and my theories involve severely scandals and installing money!" my boss yelled back at me.

"If that's what you want, then you can write it yourself!" I retorted and walked out of the staff room, closing the door with a loud bang.

I knew the truth out there somewhere and I would do whatever it takes to find it! I believed in Estelle! She was my friend and treated me way better than anyone else! …Except for Jack, of course.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I was by a small shopping center talking with different people. I was more likely asking if they had seen anything weird around Estelle and if they had even seen her ever since she busted out from prison.

I stumbled upon a hippie couple when I overheard them talking about two Estelles. That grabbed my attention, so I walked straight over to their car with rolled down window where they were sitting and cuddling. Oh, how I wished I could cuddle with my Jacky-Bear…

"Excuse me", I said, getting the couple's attention. "You mentioned something about two Estelles just now…?"

"Oh, yeah! Yesterday, on our way home, we spotted two Estelles driving next to each other!" the male hippie replied.

"Are you serious? Do you have proof?" I asked.

"Yeah, ma'am, right here", the male hippie nodded and picked up a camera and showed me a picture.

The picture was taken from the back, but you could clearly see there were two Estelles riding on same Duel Runners, except one of the rides seemed to have a slight darker tone than the other.

"Check it out, ma'am! Two Estelles right there!" the male hippie exclaimed happily as he did the victory sign with his fingers. "One was like whroom and then whoo-ha and the other one was like yahaa!"

"Yeah! It was one of the grooviest things ever!" the female hippie nodded.

I pushed my glasses up my nose. This was a major lead! Now I had to contact Jack and the others and tell them about my discovery!

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

When Jack got the call from Carly that she had found a lead about Estelle, he and his two foster brothers met up with the journalist by the harbor, and it was close to sundown. Carly told the trio that there were two Estelles out there and there was proof of it, and the young men were surprised to hear that.

"What did you say?!" Yusei exclaimed in surprise.

"You sure it wasn't a fake picture or something?" Crow asked Carly.

"Yeah, it just gotta be", Yusei said. "It's not exactly a common model. She's the only one like it. Why would someone else build another one, unless…"

The young men looked at each other before realization hit them.

"Quick! We gotta go now!" Crow exclaimed as he rushed to his Duel Runner.

"Wait, what's up, guys?" Carly asked in surprise.

"Carly, keep us updated if you hear news about Estelle", Jack told the journalist. "We need to check something to confirm this speculation!"

"Okay!" Carly nodded.

Yusei was already driving ahead with Crow following him. Jack sat down on his Duel Runner and put on the helmet before he took off and followed the duo.

"That Estelle we saw last night was an imposter!" Yusei concluded.

"So the big question now is; where's the real Estelle?" Crow added.

"Guys, remember how the barrier next to that fake Estelle was shattered?" Jack asked his foster brothers.

"You don't think that-", Crow began with a worried voice.

"I don't know. Let's just check the area below the highway", Yusei replied.

The raven-haired man didn't want to show it, but he was now more worried than before. What if the real Estelle had a Turbo Duel with the fake Estelle and got defeated and got sent into the ocean? He just prayed he and his foster brothers wouldn't be too late.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The trio made it to the cliff below the Turbo Dueling course where the barrier was shattered. They took off their helmets and dismounted their Duel Runners to look around among the rocks to see if they could spot Estelle's body or Duel Runner or anything connected to her.

Crow eyed the rocks below him when he suddenly spotted something that didn't seem to belong with the brown boulders. He slid down the cliff to get to the point where he saw the item stand out.

"Crow!" Yusei called when he saw the carrot-head get down to the lower level of the cliff.

"Hold it, mate!" Jack yelled.

Crow didn't listen to those two and knelt down to take a closer look among the slight sharp rocks. It was a card, but not just any card.

It was Star Eater.

"Oh, no!" Crow exclaimed as he picked up the card.

Now the pieces were falling into their places in the puzzle. How could Star Eater have ended up here when one had been seen with the fake Estelle? This confirmed that the Estelle they saw last night wasn't the real one, and that something terrible had happened to the real woman.

Yusei and Jack made it down to Crow and stood next to him, seeing he had found a card. "What is that? Is that one of Estelle's cards?" Yusei asked.

Crow felt ashamed and scared, but also regret after everything he said and thought about Estelle being a bad guy. His body shook as he held back his tears while he went down on his knees. "It's Star Eater… She would _never_ drop this…!" He dropped the card as he clenched his hands into fists. "Something's happened…! I can't believe I said all that mean stuff, Yusei, Jack…! I mean… She could be gone! And… And…" Now a couple of tears made it out from his closed eyes. "I'm sorry, Estelle!"

Yusei knelt down next to Crow and picked up Star Eater's card. He was also doing his best to hold back his emotions as he looked at Estelle's favorite card. "What happened…?"

Jack watched from the background, feeling fear fill his heart at the thought of Estelle being gone. He was also worried about Yusei since his next youngest foster brother harbored strong feelings for the woman.

A ringing tone from the pocket of Jack's pants caught the blonde man's attention. He pulled out his cell phone and saw it was Carly calling. He answered the call immediately.

"_We got trouble!_" Carly announced.

"What's the newsflash, Carly?" Jack asked.

"_Estelle's been spotted on the highway again and Sector Security is after her!_"

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

The first thing I knew when I woke up was that I was trapped in vines while being in a dark world. I struggled against the vines that seemed to sap some of my energy. I didn't know for how long I had been unconscious, but I could tell by the screen I saw in front of me, showing me the imposter driving around, that it was sundown in my friends' dimension, so a whole day must have passed by since I lost consciousness.

"Let me go!" I told the fake Estelle. "Who are you?! Why are you pretending to be me?!"

"_You don't get it, do you, old Estelle?_" the imposter replied. "_I am you. The better you!_" She let out one of her hideous laugh that echoed in this empty universe where I was trapped.

"No!" I cried out.

I watched how the imposter was being chased by a Sector Security patrol. One of the guys was Officer Kaz who I had met a couple of times before.

"_Come on, Estelle! You're only making things worse! Turn yourself in!_" Officer Kaz told the imposter.

The imposter refused to listen and drove into a long tunnel. She then used a dirty trick by driving up the walls and shattered the lights, making the glass fragments fly towards the Sector Security men. The men did their best to avoid the sharp glasses, but they all ended up crashing into each other, except for Officer Kaz who had avoided his colleagues and the glass fragments.

"_Estelle, stop! This isn't like you! You're a good guy!_" Officer Kaz tried to convince the imposter.

The fake Estelle laughed, "_Did you hear that? He thinks you're a good guy. How very sweet! I guess it's safe to say he doesn't know you very well, isn't it?_"

"Stop ruining my identity!" I told the imposter.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

At the same time, the Three Pure Nobles were watching everything from their thrones. The truth was it was Jakob's idea to do this mess, since he got some inspiration from Primo's old plan with Duelbots.

"Do you think it's possible that we've overestimated the Priestess?" Primo asked. "I'm starting to doubt whether or not she fits in the Grand Design."

The reason why he said that was he had expected the Circuit to have already been activated now when they had the Priestess in their grip.

"Have patience", Jakob told the next youngest Pure Noble. "All women struggle when trying to defeat the enemy within. It is through this struggle that they find their true strength."

"You better be right", Lester snorted. "It was hard contorting the energy to copy Jack Atlas's cards before you changed your mind and focused on the Priestess instead."

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I tried to rip myself out of the vines, but it was just impossible. My power didn't even want to activate in this dimension. I let out an exhausted sigh and dropped my head, feeling everything was lost.

"_Officer Kaz!_" a familiar voice yelled.

I snapped up my head with widen eyes. "Jack?!"

I looked at the screen, seeing how Yusei, Jack and Crow were driving up to Officer Kaz. My heart beat in relief, happy to see the trio.

"_Stay back, guys! You can't get involved!_" Officer Kaz told them.

"_That isn't Estelle, Kaz! It's some sort of loser-imposter!_" Crow told him.

"_Imposter? What are you talking about?! Of course it's Estelle!_" Kaz said, confusion in his voice.

"_No, it's not! She's a fake!_" Yusei said.

"_A fake?!_" Officer Kaz exclaimed in surprise.

The imposter laughed, "_Sounds like someone can't accept that I finally decided to be who I really am!_"

"_I don't know who you are, but you are _not_ Estelle Malmström!_" Crow retorted. "_Sure, Estelle might be a bit shy and quiet, and sometimes act a bit childish, but she's my buddy, and because of you I said horrible things I can't take back now! You know what it's like to know you might never be able to apologize to your friend?!_"

"Crow… I've already forgiven you…", I mumbled, feeling tears of happiness and relief gather in my eyes.

"_But even if I can't tell my friend that I'm sorry, I can at least try to do it right by kicking your sorry butt!_" Crow added.

"_Go ahead and try it, pipsqueak!_" the imposter provoked.

The fake Estelle drove backwards until she was driving in front of Crow. Once she was close enough to Crow, she made the lights on the back of her Duel Runner shine very brightly. Because of that sudden and strong light, Crow got so surprised that he lost control of his Duel Runner.

"No, Crow!" I called worriedly.

I saw how Crow flew backwards and off his Duel Runner as said ride made a flip in the air before it crashed on the concrete. Yusei and Jack drove past the fallen Blackwing Duelist.

"_Crow!_" Jack called.

"_You okay?!_" Yusei asked, looking over his shoulder to see if his foster brother was okay.

The imposter laughed once again. "_That little joke thought he could take me on, but a champion like me devours pipsqueaks like him on a daily basis!_"

"_No way! If you're really Estelle Malmström, you'd know that little joke is one of your best friends, and you wouldn't do anything to hurt your friends!_" Yusei retorted.

"_A champion has no use for friends. Only losers sit around and depend on friends. Champions reign alone_", the fake Estelle retorted before she released some kind of smokescreen in front of Yusei.

"_Look out!_" Officer Kaz shouted.

"_Drive aside, Yusei, fast!_" Jack added.

I saw Yusei gasp in surprise when the imposter drove backwards to him to use the same dirty trick she did on Crow.

"Yusei!" I cried out, having enough of watching my friends ending up hurt because of a stupid fangirl. "That's it!" I struggled once again against the vines that trapped me while I felt my Mark burn in activation. "People can hurt me all they want, but they will _not_ hurt my friends!"

I could also feel my eyes burn by my power, but I never knew the pupils had turned into slits during the moment when I was surrounded by a fiery aura and burned the vines. Once the vines were burned off, the black dimension around me disappeared and I felt myself move.

I opened my eyes and saw I had something in front of my eyes that weren't there before. It was like one of those modern visors that displayed a screen. I pulled it off and looked around. I was in a dark cave. I turned around and saw I had been sitting on a mechanical chair this entire time, so I've never been in a dark dimension.

I turned my attention back to the cave and spotted something yellow by a corner. It was my Duel Runner!

I rushed to it immediately and put on the helmet before I looked around once again to see if I could find a way out of here. I saw a pair of doors and decided it was now or never.

I got on my Duel Runner, turned on the engine and drove towards the doors. The doors flew off the hinges as I flew out to the real world and into fresh air. As much as I wanted to stay and enjoy the pretty sundown, I had to go and help my friends and stop the imposter.

I drove towards New Domino City when I suddenly heard the Crimson Dragon's voice in my head.

"_**Estelle, due to the imposter, I will give you a new Deck. Play it well.**_"

I sneaked down a glance on my Deck that was still in the Deck slot and saw it glow in a gentle crimson light for three seconds before it died down. I had no time to look through my new Deck and see what new cards I had. I just had to play with it when I got to Duel the imposter once again.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

It took some time to find the location of the imposter's whereabouts with Yusei, Jack and Officer Kaz still chasing her. It was already early evening when I finally found the group, and I surprised them all by jumping down from a highway above them.

"You'll pay for what you caused, you damn faker!" I spat, now feeling very angry.

Yeah, I actually stole that line "faker" from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise whenever he and Shadow used to call each other like that.

I braced myself before I rammed the imposter's Duel Runner. Both of us spun around for a moment before we gained control of our Duel Runners and kept driving.

"It's Estelle!" I heard Yusei exclaim with relief in his voice.

"Well, she certainly know how to make a grand entrance", Jack commented.

"There really are two of them!" Officer Kaz said in surprise.

The fake Estelle drove first in line while I drove right behind her. Yusei drove up to me and called my name. "Estelle, catch!" He threw a card to me which I caught and saw it was Star Eater.

I smiled at my crush. "Thanks, Yusei. I could never start a Duel without Star Eater." I added my ace dragon in the Extra Deck.

"Estelle!" Jack called from my right side. I turned to the right and saw the blonde man throw another card to me.

I caught it and saw it was one of his newest Tuner Monsters; Trust Guardian. It was a card that he, Yusei and Crow got for the tag-team for the WRGP.

"Thanks, Jack", I nodded. "I'll use it for the Duel." I added Trust Guardian in my Deck and let the slot shuffle it as I turned my attention on the imposter. "You claim to be a better version of me, but you're not. You're the worst of me. You're the hidden selfish and greedy side of me that I never want to bring out. It's time for a rematch, so get your game on!"

The imposter just snorted before we both activated the Speed World 2 Field Spell. Like before, the area got a bit brighter, but the same white light from before came back and surrounded me and the imposter. I had a feeling it was this "extra effect" that made the damage become real.

The imposter and I drove to a Turbo Dueling course that had been lifted up from the sea, but the course wasn't as wet as I thought it would be. I looked behind my shoulder to see Jack, Yusei and Officer Kaz were still following us.

**Imposter: 4000 = SPC: 0**

**Estelle: 4000 = SPC: 0**

"Let's do this!" the imposter said before she drew her sixth card. "I'll go first! I summon Archfiend Interceptor in attack mode!"

The fiend-type Monster came out from a portal and stood tall and ready.

**Archfiend Interceptor, Level 4: ATK 1400**

"Hold it, that's my card!" Jack shouted in the background.

The imposter ignored him. "Next I place one card face-down and end my turn. Honestly, you bitch, how do you expect to defeat me when I'm the better you?!"

I growled at the word "bitch". "I'll show you what I can do…with my new Deck!" I placed my fingers on the top of my Deck. "I draw!"

**Imposter: 4000 = SPC: 0 – 1**

**Estelle: 4000 = SPC: 0 – 1**

"What did she mean by her new Deck?" I heard Yusei wonder in the background.

I looked at the card I had just drawn and saw it was Trust Guardian. I added it in my hand and took a quick peek at every card I had right now. Except for Trust Guardian, I had Speed Spell - Trade-In, Speed Spell - Return of the Dragon Lords, Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand, Decoy Dragon, and Breakthrough Skill.

I noticed how the two Speed Spells I had only required 1 Speed Counter. Okay, from what I remembered now with the new rules of the Speed World 2 Field Spell, I didn't have to remove Speed Counters in order to activate Speed Spells. So that meant I could use both Speed Spells in this turn.

"I start my turn by using the Speed Spell - Trade-In!" I played said card. "I send one Level 8 Monster from my hand and can then draw two cards from my Deck." I sent Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand to the Graveyard and drew two more cards.

The two cards ended up being Red-Eyes Wyvern and Speed Spell - Mystical Space Typhoon.

"I don't recall Estelle having the Spell card Trade-In…", Jack murmured in the background.

"Next I play the Speed Spell - Return of the Dragon Lords!" I continued my turn. "I can choose one Level 7 or 8 dragon-type Monster in my Graveyard and Special summon it to the field." The Graveyard slot spat out Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand's card which I grabbed. "So here comes Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand!"

A portal opened and let out the golden dragon. It truly shone with a divine light which was beautiful.

**Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand, Level 8: ATK 2800**

"She never had that dragon either!" Yusei pointed out.

"But Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand won't stay alone for long because I now summon Trust Guardian!" I declared.

The little fairy Tuner came out from another portal and flew next to Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand.

**Trust Guardian, Level 3: ATK 0**

"Oh, yeah!" I heard Yusei yell in delight behind me.

"And now, it's time for these creatures to become one!" I shouted as Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand and Trust Guardian flew up to the sky for a Synchro summon. "I Synchro summon the ruler of the stars, the emperor of the dragons… STAR EATER!"

My ace dragon teared to the sky with his roar as he shone brightly as a star. "_**It is time to show this imposter what true strength is.**_"

**Star Eater, Level 11: ATK 3200**

I could swear I heard the engine of a car coming up behind me and the others, but I ignored it for now. I had to focus on the Duel.

"Go and destroy Archfiend Interceptor, Star Eater!" I told him.

Star Eater collected energy in his mouth before he unleashed a Star Striker attack at Archfiend Interceptor.

"Fine, 'cause when you attack Archfiend Interceptor, you take 500 points of direct damage", the imposter said.

"You're forgetting Star Eater's special ability!" I pointed out. "When he's about to attack, all card effects are negated, including Monsters' special abilities."

Archfiend Interceptor created a yellow sphere in his hands, but he wasn't able to throw it when he got hit by Star Eater's attack.

**Imposter: 4000 – 2200 = SPC: 1**

**Estelle: 4000 = SPC: 1**

"I place one card face-down and end my turn", I said, placing Breakthrough Skill in the Spell/Trap card zone for precaution.

"This should be fun!" the imposter laughed before she drew a new card.

**Imposter: 2200 = SPC: 1 – 2**

**Estelle: 4000 = SPC: 1 – 2**

"Since you have a Monster with more than 2000 attack points, I can Special summon Schwarzschild Limit Dragon to the field!" the imposter said.

The same dragon from our last Turbo Duel flew out from a portal.

**Schwarzschild Limit Dragon, Level 8: ATK 2000**

Oh, no… I had a bad feeling about this.

"And that means…", I began while cold sweating.

"…That I'm summoning the Flare Resonator Tuner Monster!" the imposter finished the sentence.

A Flare Resonator that looked just like Jack's came out from a portal while being on fire.

**Flare Resonator, Level 3: ATK 300**

"Now, Flare Resonator tunes Schwarzschild Limit Dragon!" the imposter continued as her two Duel Monsters joined to become one. "I Synchro summon Star Eater!"

The same copy of Star Eater that I saw last time flew above the imposter, having yellow scales instead of Star Eater's real color scheme.

**Star Eater, Level 11: ATK 3200**

My Star Eater growled warningly at the fake Star Eater. "_**That is certainly a fake. It does not smell like a real Duel Monster.**_"

"Two Star Eaters? How is that possible?!" I heard Yusei exclaim in the background.

"Excuse me! Dragons, could you hold still for a moment?!" Carly's voice yelled behind me.

So it was Carly who drove that car I heard a few moments ago.

"When a Synchro Monster uses Flare Resonator as Synchro Material, it gains 300 attack points!" the imposter said.

Her Star Eater got surrounded by a burning aura before it died down.

**Star Eater, Level 11: ATK 3200 – 3500**

"She made her Star Eater more powerful than Estelle's!" Jack shouted in the background.

"Attack with Star Striker!" the imposter declared.

Her Star Eater collected energy for its attack and hurt my Stat Eater.

**Imposter: 2200 = SPC: 2**

**Estelle: 4000 – 3700 = SPC: 2**

"When a Synchro Monster uses Trust Guardian as Synchro Material, it can save itself from being destroyed in battle by giving up 400 attack points", I said.

Star Eater shook his head, collecting himself after the attack.

**Star Eater, Level 11: ATK 3200 – 2800**

The imposter snorted, "Fine, whatever. I end my turn. So you were able to keep your dragon on the field with a puny Tuner Monster. How pathetic."

"The one who calls others pathetic are the ones who are pathetic", I told her before I drew a new card.

**Imposter: 2200 = SPC: 2 – 3**

**Estelle: 3700 = SPC: 2 – 3**

I saw the new card I had just drawn was Keeper of the Shrine which wasn't exactly the card I was after. I needed to get some Speed Spells and Trap cards. Well, I just had to keep Dueling and defend myself until my next turn.

"I just place one card face-down and end my turn", I said, placing Speed Spell - Mystical Space Typhoon face-down in the Spell/Trap card zone.

That was all I could do for now. I just prayed I could survive next turn.

"It's time for some sweet revenge!" the imposter drew a new card.

**Imposter: 2200 = SPC: 3 – 4**

**Estelle: 3700 = SPC: 3 – 4**

"First I play the Cup of Ace Speed Spell!" the imposter declared. "Now, I get to flip a coin and if it's heads, I get to draw two cards. But if it's tails, then you can draw two cards."

I looked down on the Duel screen and watched a coin flip until it landed on heads.

"Heads, so I get to draw two cards!" the imposter said and drew the cards from her Deck. "Next I Special summon another Schwarzschild Limit Dragon, thanks to your strong dragon!"

Another Schwarzschild Limit Dragon joined us on the field.

**Schwarzschild Limit Dragon, Level 8: ATK 2000**

"Next I activate the Trap Call of the Haunted and Special summon Flare Resonator from my Graveyard!" the imposter continued.

The Tuner Monster came out from a portal and flew next to Schwarzschild Limit Dragon.

**Flare Resonator, Level 3: ATK 300**

Two Special summons at once, and same Monsters as before… But why? Don't tell me she had another Star Eater?!

"It might sound a bit boring, but I Special summon my third Schwarzschild Limit Dragon!" the imposter continued.

A third brown dragon, the same that flew above the imposter, appeared. It was getting repetitive.

**Schwarzschild Limit Dragon, Level 8: ATK 2000**

"And for a small change, I Normal summon Vylon Stella to the field!" the imposter added.

The Tuner Monster that I usually used to Synchro summon Star Eater appeared among the two Schwarzschild Limit Dragon and Flare Resonator.

**Vylon Stella, Level 3: ATK 1400**

"And before I do anything else, I activate the United We Stand Speed Spell and equip it to my Star Eater!" the imposter continued. "For every Monster on my side of the field, Star Eater gains 800 attack points!"

The yellow Star Eater growled as an aura surrounded it, giving it more attack points.

**Star Eater, Level 11: ATK 3500 – 7500**

"And now, let's do a double tune-up!" the imposter declared.

The four Duel Monsters flew up to the sky. The two dragons got one Tuner Monster as Synchro Material and were joined as one.

"Why settle for just two when you can battle with _three_ Star Eaters!" the imposter shouted.

I felt myself freeze when I saw three Star Eaters flying in front of me and my Star Eater. The next strongest Star Eater had a green color scheme while the third dragon had a purple color scheme.

**Star Eater, Level 11: ATK 3500**

**Star Eater, Level 11: ATK 3200**

But the yellow Star Eater's attack points dropped now when there were just three Monsters on the imposter's field.

**Star Eater, Level 11: ATK 7500 – 5900**

"You have three Star Eaters?!" I exclaimed in shock. I never expected seeing something like this, but it was very frightening.

I heard my friends yell in surprise in the background, but I could barely hear clearly their words.

"This is the big finish, you little bitch! The grand finale!" the imposter laughed. "The ultimate climax! My three Star Eaters are going to feast on your beast!"

The purple Star Eater, the weakest one of the discolored trio, flew towards my Star Eater and ripped off a huge part of Star Eater's right wing. Star Eater roared in pain as I felt the effect of the damage hit me and my Life Points.

**Imposter: 2200 = SPC: 4**

**Estelle: 3700 – 3300 = SPC: 4**

Even though Star Eater got hit, he stayed with me as he lost some of his attack points.

**Star Eater, Level 11: ATK 2800 – 2400**

The green Star Eater rammed into my Star Eater's abdomen with its head. I felt more pain rush through me as Star Eater got hit.

**Imposter: 2200 = SPC: 4**

**Estelle: 3300 – 2400 = SPC: 4**

Like the first attack, Star Eater kept flying, but I could hear him pant in pain. "Please hold on, Star Eater…! Stay strong…!"

Star Eater growled in pain. "_**I try, Estelle… But I need your help…**_"

**Star Eater, Level 11: ATK 2400 – 2000**

I nodded, secretly activating one of my face-downs just before the imposter could declare the last Star Eater's move.

"This is the end! My third Star Eater attacks!" the imposter yelled. "Go, Starlight Breaker!"

The third and last fake Star Eater, the yellow one, flew up to the sky to prepare the attack.

"If this attack success, then Estelle's a goner!" I heard Yusei yell.

The fake Star Eater had collected enough energy for a huge yellow sphere before it unleashed the attack.

"No…!" I barely heard Officer Kaz's voice since the thundering noise of Starlight Breaker overwhelmed everything, including the imposter's laugh.

The light of Starlight Breaker nearly blinded me just as the explosion almost made me deaf, but it wasn't as strong thanks to the Mystical Space Typhoon Speed Spell that I had activated to destroy the United We Stand Speed Spell, making the fake Star Eater's attack points returning to normal.

**Star Eater, Level 11: ATK 5900 – 3500**

Once the smoke died down around us, everyone could see that I was still in the game with my Star Eater still flying, and that the face-up Mystical Space Typhoon was shown to everyone.

**Imposter: 2200 = SPC: 4**

**Estelle: 2400 – 900 = SPC: 4**

Star Eater was starting to show exhaustion, but he kept flying.

**Star Eater, Level 11: ATK 2000 – 1600**

"So you managed to delay your defeat by activating the Mystical Space Typhoon card before my third Star Eater's attack and destroy the United We Stand Speed Spell", the imposter frowned. "I admit it was not bad of a move. But I can't believe how your withering lizard can still fly after losing so much of its strength. That clearly shows how weak and pathetic you truly are, bitch."

"Call me weak as much as you want, but you're wrong about that", I told her calmly. "I've suffered a long time in the past by having no friends who could stand by my side and lend me their strength whenever I was crying for help. But now I've become stronger than I used to be, not because of my willpower, but also because I have people and friends in my life that I trust and love." I looked up at my Star Eater, seeing he had suffered from the attacks. "Star Eater, who battles on despite the damage he's taken, and Trust Guardian who protects him… Both of them represent the strength my friends give me!" I turned my attention back at the imposter. "Like I said before the Duel, you are the selfish side of me who has no use for friends, and that makes _you_ the weaker one!"

Suddenly I felt my arm burn with a gentle feeling. I glanced down on my right arm to see the Star Mark and the six small Marks of the Dragon glowing. Seconds later, I felt my back burn as the Crimson Dragon put the whole seal on me, lending me the power I needed.

"Let me show you what a miracle can do!" I told the imposter. "A miracle like when I arrived to this dimension and met my friends! I draw!" I drew the card on top of my Deck that was glowing in golden color.

**Imposter: 2200 = SPC: 4 – 5**

**Estelle: 900 = SPC: 4 – 5**

"I summon Majestic Dragon's counterpart; Miracle Dragon!" I declared.

A golden dragon that looked like Majestic Dragon appeared in front of Star Eater.

**Miracle Dragon, Level 1: ATK 0**

The differences between these dragons were Miracle Dragon had a golden main color instead of pink, crimson eyes instead of yellow, yellow wings instead of light pink, and a light yellow M mark on its forehead while Majestic Dragon didn't have any mark on its head. Miracle Dragon had the same orange jewels on the wings like Majestic Dragon.

"It's time for a tune-up with Star Eater and Miracle Dragon!" I declared.

Miracle Dragon grew bigger as it swallowed my Star Eater for the Synchro summoning. A bright golden light shone from them as I felt myself float up from the course with my Duel Runner to join my newest Synchro dragon.

"I Synchro summon Star Eater's true form… MIRACLE STAR DRAGON!" I shouted.

Miracle Star Dragon had the same structure as Majestic Star Dragon and Majestic Red Dragon, but you could clearly see the traits of Star Eater.

**Miracle Star Dragon, Level 12: ATK 4500**

"Unbelievable!" the imposter exclaimed in surprise.

"Believe it!" I retorted. "And now Miracle Star Dragon's special ability activates! He gains 100 attack points equal to the levels of every Synchro Monster that's out on the field and in the Graveyard, excluding himself!"

Miracle Star Dragon shone brightly as energy flew to him like insects flying to a beacon of light. He gained 4400 attack points due to the three Star Eaters on the field, and one Star Eater being in the Graveyard.

**Miracle Star Dragon, Level 12: ATK 4500 – 8900**

"8900 attack points?!" the imposter exclaimed in shock.

"It's time to end this once and for all!" I shouted. "Miracle Star Dragon, attack with Golden Strike Flame!"

Miracle Star Dragon roared as he dived towards the fake Star Eaters while burning in a golden light. I watched from the Synchro dragon's head how the golden light swallowed the fake Star Eaters and burned the imposter to reveal a metallic skeleton.

The imposter had been a robot this entire time!

The robot and the Duel Runner exploded in a massive fire, ending the Duel.

**Imposter: 2200 – 0 = SPC: 5**

**Estelle: 900 = SPC: 5**

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

The Three Pure Nobles watched how Yusei, Jack, Carly and Officer Kaz watched the fake cards disappearing in a gentle light like fireflies.

"Well, I guess that was impressive", Primo commented before he sat down on his throne.

But the truth was he had never expected the Crimson Star Priestess to summon a strong Monster as Miracle Star Dragon. It was a bit of shock to him.

"And I went through all that trouble to copy those cards! What a waste!" Lester spat irritated.

The screen that had showed the Three Pure Nobles the Turbo Duel got replaced with the Circuit that showed how a new and big piece had been added.

"The Circuit's been activated!" Lester exclaimed excitedly.

"Excellent! I told you she'd fit into the Grand Design", Jakob said with mirth in his voice.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

When Miracle Star Dragon finally let me down on the highway next to the Turbo Dueling course, I removed the helmet and let out a huge sigh of exhaustion.

"The one who said Turbo Dueling is a piece of cake must check his brain", I commented loudly before I collapsed on the front of my Duel Runner.

I got like five seconds to regain my energy when Yusei, Jack, Carly and Officer Kaz ran to me, all of them smiling. Carly was busy taking pictures of me.

"You did it! And I witnessed the whole thing, so I can testify that you weren't the one committing those crimes", Officer Kaz told me.

"Thank you, Officer Kaz", I nodded before I rubbed my forehead. "That was truly a close call."

"But you made it", Yusei smiled. "And it's good to have you back."

I blushed at Yusei's comment. "It's good to be back."

"But I never expected you to Synchro summon a Level 12 Monster", Jack said impressively. "We need to have a Duel soon so I can challenge Miracle Star Dragon."

"We'll see about that in the future, Jack. But I'm not driving the Duel Runner again", I told him. "So don't expect me to challenge you in a Turbo Duel."

Jack grinned, "I won't."

"And I got the whole Duel on video, so the public can see how awesome you were defeating that imposter!" Carly cried happily. "I can go far with this video! It's worth gold!"

I looked over my left shoulder to see Crow drive up to us. He removed his helmet and leant closer to me. "Hold still!" he demanded.

I blinked confusedly while blushing for having someone so close to my face. "Hm?"

Crow drew back his face when he started crying. "It… It _is_ you! I thought I'd never see you again! I thought a lot of things about you that weren't true! I-I said all sorts of mean stuff! I-I called you names!"

I chuckled with a smile on my lips. "It's okay, Crow. I forgave you a long time ago. But if you really want to apologize, then you have to write "Estelle would never commit crimes" a hundred times."

"Alright, don't milk it, you jerk!" Crow exclaimed irritated.

The rest of us laughed at Crow's comment, releasing all the tension that had been on our shoulders for the last few days. It was good to be back in the team after this incident.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**The truth is I had the whole Turbo Duel done when I decided to change it a bit and make it more exciting and similar to the real Turbo Duel in Episode 64, and this was the result. I might have broken a few rules about the Turbo Duel, but I had no other choice. I hope you still enjoyed it.**

**Miracle Dragon and Miracle Star Dragon are two made-up Duel Monsters that I created, so don't go look for them on official websites! I'll also try drawing two arts of them. Miracle Dragon might be easy since there is a Majestic Dragon reference, but Miracle Star Dragon is a different story. ^^'**

**P.S. Miracle Dragon is done and up on my DeviantArt account. Check it out! :)**


	59. A Duel of Clocks and Bonds

**I felt like I had to include this episode because it shows how important it is to have a strong bond between parent and child, especially when it comes to a mother.**

**WARNING! Long chapter!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 59: A Duel of Clocks and Bonds**

The month May was finally here in New Domino City. The group and I were on our way back to the garage while all of us were carrying stuff, like parts for Duel Runners and such. While we were walking, I was enjoying the fresh air and beautiful weather. One hour ago, we had been in the martial arts gym to practice, according to my schedule. Bruno was getting into it as well.

"You guys are just amazing with those martial arts skills!" Bruno told us.

"Well, we're still far away from Estelle's level", Akiza replied.

"But you'll get there as long as you keep practicing", I nodded.

"Easy for you to say! I'm still sore and numb in my arms", Leo groaned, rotating his shoulders as he held a box with parts.

"Don't be a crybaby, Leo", Luna sighed.

"He'll need more training and build the muscles in his arms to be just as strong as me", Jack said with a proud voice.

"As if you're just as strong as Estelle", Crow teased. "She kicked your butt today!"

That comment made us all laugh.

"Why you!" Jack growled.

"Calm down, Jack. Crow was just joking", Yusei told the blonde man.

Jack turned away his head with a frown.

As we approached Zora's house, we spotted said woman standing outside of the clock shop, sweeping the ground with a broom. But something was wrong with her. She looked a bit down and not high-spirited as she usually was.

"Hey. What's wrong, Zora?" Crow asked as soon as we reached the woman. "You seem a bit upset."

"Mind your business!" Zora shouted back irritated.

"You do seem a bit down", Yusei said with a concerned voice.

"Oh, Yusei, thank you for inquiring", Zora smiled sweetly at Yusei before her sad face came back. "The truth is I am down. At the town meeting, it was decided that my beloved clock must be replaced." She looked up at the front wall of the building where a clock was attached on.

For as long as I could remember, I had never seen that cuckoo clock move or ring its bell.

"It has been broken for some time", Crow stated.

"Butt out, you punk!" Zora yelled at him again, making the carrot-head shiver in slight fear.

"Well, that's a shame", Yusei told Zora.

"It really is…", Zora sighed.

"I'd love to hear that clock bell at least once before it gets replaced", I confessed honestly.

"I wish so myself, dear Estelle", Zora smiled warmly.

"Ehh… Could someone tell me why Zora's picking on me here?" Crow asked, probably because he was always the victim of Zora's fury.

"Oh, it's just that my youngest son Lyndon is coming to town", Zora began sweetly before she changed into a furious animal. "And he and I are fighting! So I'm practicing!"

"Oh, man! There's nothing quite like a mother's love!" Crow said, making us all laugh at his comment once again.

Once we got down in the garage, after forewarning Zora that we were going to be a bit loud, the young men began working with the three main Duel Runners for the WRGP. Akiza, the twins and I sat aside and watched the boys work on. Yusei, Jack, and Crow were sitting on their Duel Runners, making some tests.

"Alrighty, how does the balance look now, Yusei?" Bruno asked.

"Well…", Yusei began hesitantly.

"It looks good to me", a voice spoke up.

I looked towards the entrance of the garage which was open and spotted a young man in around my age with bright blonde hair that was half-covered by a red bandana. He was also carrying a duffle bag. Strangely, no one else had noticed him.

"Alright. Then can you fix up mine next?" Crow asked Bruno.

But the unknown man's voice overwhelmed Bruno's voice. "What's to fix up? Your Duel Runner looks totally awesome as it is!"

"Thanks!" Crow grinned widely.

"And that goes double for Jack's Duel-ride!" the blonde man continued.

"Got that right!" Jack's eyes focused on Bruno, as if he thought it was the blue-haired man who had given him the compliment. "The Master of Faster maintains his machine at all time!"

"Ehh… Guys?" I spoke up, grabbing everyone's attention. "Haven't you noticed the intruder?" I pointed towards the garage's entrance with my right thumb.

Everyone turned to the entrance and finally spotted the blonde young man. "Who are you?!"

"Who am I? Come on, guys! We're practically family!" the young man said cheerfully.

While the others were questioning about who the newcomer was, I spotted the Duel Spirit of Time Wizard. He gave me a nod in greeting before he retired to his card that was surely with this blonde man.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I do know I love what you've done to my room!" the young man smiled.

"Your room? How was this your room?" Yusei asked.

"Because I used to _live_ here!" the man replied. "Hi! I'm Zora's son; Lyndon! She must have told you I was coming! Well, here I am! Where should I put my stuff?"

Crow did not like the idea. "Wait! So he's staying with us?!"

"Yeah! And I am so super-stoked! We're gonna have the best time ever to get to know each other over this month!" Lyndon continued with his cheerful character.

"Over this month?" Jack arched an eyebrow. "So that's why Zora's on bad terms with this kitty. He's a freeloader! Oh, well, I'm sure Crow's got space in his room."

"Yep!" Yusei nodded.

"Done deal", Bruno added.

Crow was crying waterfalls in despair for sharing his room with someone. I was wondering why he had such a big problem with that.

"Nah, that's not why we're fighting! Mom's mad because I wanna be a pro-Duelist!" Lyndon said.

"I don't understand. Why would she be mad about that?" Yusei wondered.

"'Cause she's always wanted me to follow my father's footsteps", Lyndon replied. "And become a boring old clock smith."

We let Lyndon enter the garage and gave him a chair to sit on so he could tell us in details about the fight with Zora, the reason why he left and so on.

Something about this story made me think about my big half-brother and our mother. Those two didn't have a good relationship, but that was because my brother didn't care about Mom. Mom did so much for him and she never got back any sort of affection from my brother. Heck, my brother didn't even care about me, and he was right now close to his 40s. My brother claimed to always be busy with his friends that he couldn't give a spare time to come over and have a nice talk with Mom, or even give her a phone call for just being curious how she was doing. Plus, my brother didn't settle down nor had any children on his own. Sure, he had a girlfriend from what I knew before I arrived to this dimension, but who knew how long they were going to stay together since my brother had been with several women, but they all left him, not the other way around.

I shook off my thoughts about my family and turned my attention back to the reality.

"Wow! So this fight's been going on for a while", Crow stated.

"Must be tough", Jack said.

"Yeah…", Lyndon turned his head down. "I miss being close with my mom…"

How much I wished hearing such words from my own brother to see if he still loved our mother, but my brother was cold-hearted and didn't have any real feelings.

"I'm sure she misses being close too. Why not patch things up?" Akiza spoke up next to me.

Lyndon's cheerful character came back on. "Funny you should say that, 'cause that's exactly the reason that I'm here! To make good with my mom, and get our lives back on track! And how do I plan to do that, ya ask? Well, I'll tell ya! I took a clock repair class not too long ago, and I plan to finally fix that old clock!"

"Well, then you better get a move on", Jack told Lyndon. "The town's planning to replace that tinkle with a brand new one."

"They're turning my mom's clock down?" Lyndon blinked confusedly, not expecting the news.

"I'm afraid so, Lyndon", Akiza said. "Apparently they just had a meeting and it was decided."

"Well, that's that", Lyndon said in defeat.

"It doesn't have to be", Crow said, telling Zora's son to not give up.

"Exactly", I nodded. "If you give up and won't do a thing, then the relationship between you and Zora will remain bitter. But as the old saying goes "Actions speak louder and clearer than words.", and that's what you must do."

"Yeah!" everyone else agreed.

Lyndon suddenly shot up from the chair and walked up to me and grabbed both my hands with a happy smile. It was then I noticed how Lyndon was just as tall as me.

"You're right! This is my chance to be a big-time hero!" Lyndon smiled.

I saw from the corner of my left eye how Yusei stepped up with a poker face and grabbed Lyndon's shoulder from behind and pulled him back, making the blonde man let go of my hands. I could swear I saw Jack, Crow and Bruno smirk behind Yusei. Akiza even grabbed my left arm with both her arms, as if trying to protect me from Lyndon.

"Easy, Lyndon! You've still got a lot to prove", Yusei told him.

"If you want prove anything, you better hurry", Crow added. "Word is that they'll tear the clock down today."

"Whoa! They move pretty fast!" Lyndon exclaimed in surprise. "Well, I better go!"

The man was running towards the entrance of the garage when Akiza called him. "Hold on!" Lyndon stopped and looked over his shoulder. "You're not going anywhere like that!"

"I'm not?" Lyndon blinked confusedly.

"Not if you want to impress your mom, you're not", Akiza chimed, letting go of my arm.

"Time for a tune-up", Yusei declared.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Ten minutes later, Lyndon was dressed in a suit that had been in Yusei's wardrobe. The suit used to belong to Zora's next youngest son, but she didn't have the heart to throw away the suit, so she gave it to Yusei when he, Jack and Crow moved in, including several clothes for the men to use.

Lyndon tried tying the tie, but kept failing. Jack got a bit irritated by the failure and decided to jump in.

"Enough already! That's your tenth try! I'll do it! Gimme that thing!" Jack spat and tried pulling the tie off Lyndon, but accidently strangling him.

"Stop it!" Akiza pushed away Jack. "It's his first suit!" She helped Lyndon to tie the tie. "How's that?"

"Not too shabby", Yusei commented.

"I bet you've been practicing with your father", I smiled at Akiza.

"Dad insists that every girl should get taught to tie their future husbands' ties", Akiza replied before she made a final check of Lyndon's tie. "All set."

"Great! Then take a deep breath, 'cause it's time to make up with your mom!" Crow told Lyndon.

We followed Lyndon out of the garage and watched from the corner how Lyndon walked up to the front door of Zora's clock shop.

"I hope this works…", Lyndon told us nervously.

"It will!" Crow replied encouragingly. "Go!"

Once Lyndon stepped inside of the clock shop, we gathered by the windows to hear and watch the dialogue between Zora and Lyndon. We heard every single world, including "nagging". And nagging came out from Lyndon's mouth which was a huge mistake.

"Ooh! Nagging. Zora's not gonna like that", Jack commented.

"How do you know that? You're actually her fourth son?" I asked jokingly, making the others giggle and chuckle.

Just like we thought, Zora got angry at Lyndon's choice of words and even went so far that she grabbed a chair and threw it at Lyndon who rushed out of the clock shop and ducked in time before the chair could hit him.

"Mamma mia! Vilken järnkvinna! (Mamma mia! What an iron woman!)" I commented.

Zora stepped outside and talked furiously at Lyndon who was all shaken up. "You haven't changed since the day you broke the town clock!"

My friends all exclaimed in surprise and shock. I wasn't really that surprised since I did kinda remember this part in the anime.

"Wait! Who broke the clock? You?" Crow asked.

"Well… Sorta", Lyndon confessed. "See, back when I was a kid, one of my chores was to make sure the clock was always weighed. It was backbreaking work, so one day I got a thinking. Maybe with a few little adjustments, I can get the clock to run more frequently. So I started tinkering. And then tinkering more. And then tinkering more. And more! And more! Until pretty soon I was tinkering everything in sight! Only I wasn't just tinkering anymore! I was hammering! And hammering hard! I couldn't help myself! I just kept banging and banging and banging until-"

"Until my beloved clock was banged into oblivion!" Zora finished Lyndon's long speech. "You heavy-hammering birdbrain!"

"I… I'm here to fix it, Mom…", Lyndon said, both looking and sounding very down.

"Lyndon, you're my son and I love you, but get out of here!" Zora demanded. "You don't fix things! You put people in fixes! Now, go!"

Lyndon looked actually really upset of being told by Zora to go when his intention was to fix the clock he broke down, and fix the bond between him and his mother.

"Fine then! I'm gone!" Lyndon glared and got up before running away.

I felt my body move when I saw the son run away with a broken heart. "Lyndon, stop!" I rushed over to him as he stopped running and turned to me. "Don't run away from this. It won't make things better."

"I don't want to make things better!" Lyndon said due to his anger. "I just want outta here! She doesn't care about me! She just cares about-"

"You know just as much as I do that she cares more about her family and all her three sons more than clocks that are just objects with no hearts and souls", I interrupted him. "Clocks can be replaced when they break down, but the bond between parent and child is so precious and can _never_ be replaced."

"All I know is that my mom doesn't care about my dreams!" Lyndon said. "Not one bit! That's why I want outta here! And for good!"

"And live on with the knowing you lost your chance to make up with your mother?" I asked calmly, catching him off guard. "Can you truly live on with that regret for the rest of your life?" Lyndon looked away, not wanting to make eye contact with me. "Since you're a Duelist, you should know how such conflicts can be dealt with. A Duel."

"A Duel?" Lyndon turned to me with big eyes.

"You want to leave, and I want you to stay, so it comes down to a Duel", I told him. "If I win, you fix not only the clock but also the bond with your mother. But if you win, then you're free to go and do whatever you want to do in your life and never come back. It's your choice."

Lyndon pondered a few seconds about it before he nodded. "Fine! You got yourself a deal! Now let's get it on!"

The reason why I wanted to Duel with Lyndon was to see if I could help him and Zora be on good terms again. I didn't like seeing their relationship be like my mother and big half-brother's.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The Satellite Trio lent me one of those simple Duel Disks for the Duel. They had three in spare. Akiza helped me tie up my hair into a high ponytail before Lyndon and I went to the town square with the group and Zora for the Duel. Lyndon used his own Duel Disk which he had in his duffle bag.

**Lyndon: 4000**

**Estelle: 4000**

"You can go first, Lyndon", I told him.

"All with pleasure! Draw!" Lyndon drew his sixth card. "Alrighty, I summon to the field Monster Clock!"

A weird Monster that had traits of a clock appeared on the field. It was a new Monster to me.

**Monster Clock, Level 1: ATK 0**

A Monster with no attack points? That must mean the Monster had some kind of special ability that I needed to watch out for.

"I end my turn", Lyndon said.

"Okay", I nodded. "I draw!" I drew my sixth card.

I had Vice Dragon, Foolish Burial, Call of the Haunted, Reinforcement of the Army, Galaxy Serpent and Mystical Space Typhoon.

"When you got a Monster on your field and I don't, I can Special summon Vice Dragon!" I said, placing Vice Dragon on the Duel Disk.

Vice Dragon let out a roar as he was summoned to the field.

**Vice Dragon, Level 5: ATK 1000**

"Oh, what a scary Monster! Be careful, son!" Zora shouted.

"Embarrassing…", Lyndon mumbled out loud.

"Lyndon!" I called, getting his attention. "It sounds to me that your mother is worrying about you. A clear sign that she cares for you."

"If she cared about me, she'd let me live the life _I_ want!" Lyndon retorted.

I shook my head disappointingly. "You're still so blind…" I returned my attention on the Duel. "Next I play Reinforcement of the Army to add a Level 4 or lower warrior Monster to my hand, and I choose Paladin of Felgrand." The Duel Disk shuffled my Deck until it was done and had one card out for me to take.

"And I think I'll summon said Monster to the field", I added.

Paladin of Felgrand came out and stood next to Vice Dragon, holding his sword with both hands.

**Paladin of Felgrand, Level 4: ATK 1700**

"And I activate his special ability!" I declared. "When Paladin of Felgrand is Normal or Special summoned, I can equip one Level 7 or 8 dragon Monster from my hand or Deck to him. And I choose his master; Felgrand Dragon from my Deck!" The Duel Disk shuffled my Deck once again before I got said card and placed it in the Spell/Trap card zone.

The golden Felgrand Dragon came out and stood behind Paladin of Felgrand who went down on one knee to greet the mighty dragon before he turned back to the field.

"While Paladin of Felgrand has an Equip card, he is unaffected by other Monsters' effects", I told everyone.

"I've never seen those Monsters in Estelle's Deck before…", I heard Akiza comment.

"It's because the Crimson Dragon had given her a new Deck before she Turbo Dueled the Duelbot that looked like her", Yusei told her.

"Vice Dragon, begin the battle by attacking Monster Clock!" I commanded.

Vice Dragon roared as he charged towards Monster Clock.

"Not so fast!" Lyndon shouted. "I play Monster Clock's special ability! You heard the old saying "The time's on your side.", right? Well, not this time around!"

Monster Clock stretched out its tongue and captured Vice Dragon with it, and literally devoured my dragon! The next thing I knew, a mini-Vice Dragon was on the tip of Monster Clock's tongue whenever Monster Clock pulled out his tongue.

"What the? What just happened?" I asked in surprise, adjusting my glasses.

Lyndon laughed, "Now Monster Clock gains attack points equal to the attack points of the Monster it just swallowed!"

**Monster Clock, Level 1: ATK 0 – 1000**

"Fine, but the battle is not over yet!" I retorted. "Paladin of Felgrand, attack Monster Clock!"

Paladin of Felgrand ran towards Monster Clock and held up his sword high before he slashed Monster Clock. The purple Monster got destroyed into pieces and Lyndon lost some Life Points.

**Lyndon: 4000 – 3300**

**Estelle: 4000**

I took Vice Dragon's card off the Duel Disk and pushed it into the Graveyard slot before I made my last move for the turn.

"I play the Spell card Foolish Burial", I declared and played said Spell card. "I can choose one Monster from my Deck and send it to the Graveyard, and the Monster I choose is White Night Dragon." The Deck got shuffled again before it had the card I just declared reached out to me so I could send it to the Graveyard.

I saw the other's surprised expressions. I had a feeling they were wondering why I had chosen a strong Monster card to the Graveyard. It was part of a plan I had, if things were going to turn out in the way I suspected.

"I place one card face-down and end my turn", I said, placing Call of the Haunted in the Spell/Trap card zone. "Your turn, Lyndon."

"It's my draw!" Lyndon drew a card. "Alright, first I'm summoning Clock Knight No. 12 to the field!"

A Monster that literally looked like a magenta number 12 with arms, legs and style as a warrior appeared on the field.

**Clock Knight No. 12, Level 4: ATK 1200**

"Then I activate the Spell card Clockwork!" Lyndon declared, playing said card. "With this card, I'm allowed to summon out a Monster whose Level is lower than the Clock Knight on my field. So here goes! I'm summoning Clock Knight No. 3!"

A sky-blue Clock Knight appeared next to the first Clock Knight and looked exactly as the first one, except it had a 3 as a body.

**Clock Knight No. 3, Level 1: ATK 300**

"I know, I know! "What's with the Clock Knights?" Well, they have an ability that lets me flip a coin, and if it lands on heads, then they'll gain 1200 attack points until the turn's End Phase!" Lyndon explained.

"1200 attack points…?" I mumbled, cold sweating lightly.

That sounded really strong, but the chances were on 50 %.

"But the best part is; since there are two of them out on the same time, if either of my coin flips lands in the way I don't want, I'm allowed to toss a due over!"

"A due over?" I questioned.

So he got two times to redo the coin flips if he failed with one? Okay then…

"Now let's get flipping! Heads will be the sun!" Lyndon declared.

Clock Knight No. 12 got to do the first coin flip.

"Come on, sun! Let's go, sun!" Lyndon cheered on while doing a weird dance move.

Clock Knight No. 12 caught the coin with its hands and revealed a…moon!

I let out a soft sigh of relief, but I saved some of the air since there were two more coin flips left.

Lyndon sighed at the moon on the coin. "It's the moon! No prob! Thanks to Clock Knight No. 3 being out on the field, I'm allowed to just flip again!"

Clock Knight No. 12 nodded before it redid its coin flip, and this time it landed on…

"Yeah! Sunny-side up!" Lyndon cheered joyfully. "Now my Clock Knight No. 12's attack points increase by a bingeing 1200!"

A green aura surrounded Clock Knight No. 12 as it grew stronger.

**Clock Knight No. 12, Level 4: 1200 – 2400**

"And next up is Clock Knight No. 3! So what'd you say we get right to it and flip out?" Lyndon asked.

Clock Knight No. 3 flipped the coin and it landed on sun on the first try.

Lyndon cheered joyfully once again. "And you know what that means? 1200 extra attack points!"

A green aura surrounded the lower Level Clock Knight as it got powered up.

**Clock Knight No. 3, Level 1: 300 – 1500**

"And now to put those attack points to use! Clock Knight No. 12, attack Paladin of Felgrand!" Lyndon commanded.

Clock Knight No. 12 jumped and raised its sword before it slashed Paladin of Felgrand. My warrior Monster cried out in pain before he shattered into pieces along with Felgrand Dragon.

**Lyndon: 3300**

**Estelle: 4000 – 3300**

"I'm not done!" Lyndon smirked proudly. "Now it's Clock Knight No. 3's turn to weigh battle! And since there's no Monster on the field, guess who'll be battling you!"

Clock Knight No. 3 jumped towards me with its sword raised, ready to hurt me when I used my trick.

"Not so fast! I activate my face-down Call of the Haunted!" I activated the Trap card. "With this, I can summon a Monster from my Graveyard in attack mode and I choose White Night Dragon!"

The Graveyard slot spat out said card and I grabbed it to place it on the Duel Disk. The big dragon with scales that had both blue and white combined appeared in front of me, acting like a shield.

**White Night Dragon, Level 8: ATK 3000**

Lyndon panicked immediately. "Oh, no! Clock Knight, abort! Abort!" Clock Knight No. 3 stopped its move and jumped back to Lyndon's field. "Even with your power-up, you don't have enough points to win that battle. Let's just end this turn while we're ahead!"

That meant the bonus attack points of both Clock Knight were now gone and returned to their original state.

**Clock Knight No. 12, Level 4: ATK 2400 – 1200**

**Clock Knight No. 3, Level 1: ATK 1500 – 300**

"The next turn could be it, Lyndon", I warned him, making him look like a questioning mark. "I just hope you can see what I can see before it's too late. I draw!"

I drew my new card and saw it was Mirror Force. Good!

"I place one card face-down immediately", I declared, placing Mirror Force in the Duel Disk. "Next I summon Galaxy Serpent!"

One of my loyal dragon Duel Monsters appeared next to White Night Dragon, just as pretty and shiny as always. She cooed lightly as she flew in the air.

**Galaxy Serpent, Level 2: ATK 1000**

"Yay! It's time for what I've been waiting for!" Leo cheered from the group of watchers.

Lyndon flinched in fear, also knowing what I was about to do.

"But Galaxy Serpent won't stay for long because I'm tuning her with White Night Dragon!" I declared.

Galaxy Serpent flew up to the sky with White Night Dragon following her before they joined together.

"I Synchro summon my fourth and last Synchro dragon… Trident Dragion!" I shouted.

A big red dragon appeared in front of me with three heads and necks. It was the same dragon that I had summoned during the pre-WRGP party to stop Dobocle. I rarely used Trident Dragion, but I felt like I had more chances to Synchro summon him with my new Deck.

**Trident Dragion, Level 10: ATK 3000**

"When Trident Dragion is Synchro summoned, I can choose up to two cards that I have on my field and destroy in order to get one additional attack during the Battle Phase this turn, but I decide not to use it", I said, catching everyone off guard once they got the info in their brains.

"Why would she do something so stupid?!" Jack commented.

"She must have a reason why, Jack", Crow told him.

"Trident Dragion, attack Clock Knight No. 3 with Flamethrower!" I commanded.

The head in the middle of Trident Dragion opened its mouth and breathed fire on Clock Knight No. 3 that got flambéed and destroyed, causing Lyndon's Life Points to drop harshly.

**Lyndon: 3300 – 600**

**Estelle: 3300**

Lyndon's once cheerful face dropped into one that displayed defeat. "That's it… I had enough." He turned away lightly. "I give up. You win."

I blinked in surprise. Did I hear that right? "You mean you forfeit?"

Lyndon turned to me with an angry face and tears running down his cheeks. "Yes, I forfeit! Why go on?! You've a super-tough Monster! I'm practically out of Life Points! There's no way that I can win!"

I lost my temper for hearing Lyndon say such nonsense. "The Duel is not over until the last card is played!" I shouted angrily. "A professional Duelist plays a Duel from the beginning to the very end without giving up. That's something you should know! You can't give up like that! You can't give up on everything in your life just because there's an obstacle in your way! That's your problem, Lyndon, and trust me; I had the very same problem too when I was younger." I closed my eyes to remember the old times in my childhood. "I refused to accept defeat and I wanted everything fixed around me, like a spoiled child. But not anymore." I opened my eyes with determination. "If you want something, you _must_ do it with your own hands! No one can fix something for you that only _you_ can do! If you can't do it at once, then take some time to build up your strength and try again!"

"But… I…_did_ take the time!" Lyndon confessed with tears in his eyes. "I went to clock repair school like Mom wanted! The teacher was crazy! The class conditions were awful! I was yelled at daily! But still… In fact, the only reason I was able to tolerate the day and night study session was…because…I loved it!"

"So you're saying you loved working with clocks, Lyndon?" I asked, feeling a small smile reach my lips. "Then that should add more reason for you to continue the Duel." Lyndon looked surprised at my statement. "Not for me, but for your mother. As an old Duelist once said "You just need one card to turn things around.", and that time could be yours now. But if not, then a true Duelist accepts defeat. Have courage to accept defeat. You can learn more from losing than from winning."

Lyndon looked a bit better, but he was still down. "Fine, if you say so… Here goes." He drew his next card and his face changed into a surprised one. "Whoa! I can't believe it! This card?"

I smiled lightly once again, feeling things were going on the right way.

"I gotta see this Duel to the end!" Lyndon became serious. "So for my move, I play Time Wizard!"

The very same Duel Monster that I had met when Lyndon appeared in the garage joined the battlefield.

**Time Wizard, Level 2: ATK 500**

I smiled when I saw one of Joey Wheeler's old Duel Monsters, but I was sure this wasn't the same one.

"That's the spirit, Lyndon", I encouraged him.

"Well, let's see how much you like it when I take you down and win this Duel, and Time Wizard is gonna help me do just that!" Lyndon replied. "See, with Time Wizard, I spin the arrow." Time Wizard held up his staff. "If it lands on red, all your Monsters are destroyed. But if it lands on white, all my Monsters are destroyed, and I take damage equal to half of total amount of their attack points!"

"Got it", I nodded.

"Alrighty! Time Wizard, do your thing! Let's take this Duel for a spin!" Lyndon declared.

Time Wizard held up the staff and allowed the arrow to start spinning around. While that occurred, I saw Lyndon's face change into surprise and eyes being absent, as if he was in a trace. Maybe he was remembering something from his past, thanks to Time Wizard's magic.

Lyndon shook his head and returned his attention on the Duel. "Now to win this Duel! Time Wizard, stop!"

Time Wizard complied and made the arrow stop spinning slowly until it stopped on red.

"It landed on red!" Lyndon cheered. "You know what that means? Time Wizard destroys Trident Dragion! Go, time magic!"

Time Wizard let out a rainbow-colored light that shone above Trident Dragion. The dragon roared as he turned into stone and then shattered into dust. Now I had no Monsters on the field, but I did have my Trap card.

"I use Monster Reborn to summon back Monster Clock to the field!" Lyndon said.

Monster Clock returned to the field while I kept thinking about the Spell card Monster Reborn. I've been seeing it many times lately. How come it was allowed to use it, when it was a Forbidden Card? Was it because all the Duels I had, except from the ones on the Fortune Cup, were Traditional and not Advanced?

**Monster Clock, Level 1: ATK 0**

"And before I attack, I use this Spell!" Lyndon declared as he showed me the Spell card. "Double Summon! With this card, I'm allowed to Normal summon another Monster to the field, and the Monster I'm choosing is Space-Time Police by releasing Monster Clock!"

Monster Clock turned into a colorful ball of light before it formed into a Monster I had never seen before. It looked like a humanoid Duel Monster that had a weird outfit that reminded one of a police.

**Space-Time Police, Level 5: ATK 2300**

"And now that your field is clear, Estelle, I'll have Space-Time Police and Clock Knight No. 12 attack you directly!" Lyndon shouted.

Space-Time Police made the first move towards me. I just stood there, ready to take the hit from both Monsters. Yes, I was not going to activate Mirror Force because some things were worth losing for.

Space-Time Police used its laser truncheon and hit me on my shoulder blades.

**Lyndon: 600**

**Estelle: 3300 – 1000**

Clock Knight No. 12 came next and slashed my front, making me close my eyes to avoid the special effects.

**Lyndon: 600**

**Estelle: 1000 – 0**

It got quiet after the Duel. No one dared to speak after seeing me losing. The only noise was Lyndon panting lightly until the twins broke the silence.

"No way…!" Leo exclaimed in disbelief.

"Lyndon won", Luna said.

I opened my eyes and looked at Lyndon with a poker face. "Congratulations, Lyndon. You beat me. Now, you're free to go." Lyndon looked surprised when I said that which I noticed. "Or did something change inside you?"

Lyndon nodded slowly. "Yes… I… I was…wrong. This is where I belong!" I couldn't help but smile when I saw the blonde man confessing. "You see, I finally realized something. Something I should have realized long ago! Only problem was I was too stubborn to. But now, thanks to this Duel, it's all become so clear!" He looked at me with crying eyes. "I thought I wanted to be a Duelist, but the truth is my favorite part about Dueling is when I get to use Monsters and Spells that have clocks in them! Clocks like the ones my dad used to always fix! And my mom knew it! She saw my Deck when I was a kid. She knew what I was before I did!" I spotted from the corner of my eye how Zora took a step forward to listen closely at her son. "I…was a clock smith! That's the reason she was always pushing me to learn the trade! Because she _knew_ it would make me happy! But the more she pushed, the more I pushed back, but I'm done pushing!" He turned his eyes on Zora. "I'm gonna fix the town clock, Mom!"

"Son…", I heard Zora say with an emotional voice.

"'Cause fixing clocks is what I love!" Lyndon exclaimed before he rushed to the clock shop and went to work.

I smiled at the sight. My work was done and over. I put back the cards I held in my left hand in the Deck and removed the ribbon that held up my hair, pushing it behind my ears.

"Way to go, Estelle", Yusei told me and he and his foster brothers walked up to me, making me turn to them. "But how did you know that Dueling Lyndon would solve this?"

"Yeah, how, Estelle?" Jack wondered.

"I know how", Zora told us. "Estelle peeked at Lyndon's Deck."

"No", I shook my head. "When Lyndon arrived to the garage, the spirit of Time Wizard appeared next to him. He told me how Lyndon was actually passionate for clocks than for Dueling, and I put two and two together."

Crow grinned brightly. "That's Estelle for ya! The Fixing Woman has done it again!"

"The Fixing Woman…?" I said in slight surprise.

"Yeah, 'cause you always seem to solve problems like this one!" Crow explained.

"Not always, Crow, but I want to try", I shook my head with a small chuckle.

"So now what?" Akiza asked as she, the twins and Bruno walked up to us.

I turned to look at the town clock. "Now we let Lyndon fix the town clock, meaning we shouldn't make any loud noises in the garage. I know it can be very disturbing for someone who's trying to concentrate on their work."

"So no more Duel Runner adjustments for today, huh?" Bruno said.

I nodded, "Exactly."

"But what can we do instead?" Leo asked.

"Lots of things", I replied before I turned to Zora. "How much time does Lyndon need to fix the town clock, Zora?"

"They said they'll take down the clock at 6 PM", Zora replied, looking at the town clock.

"That's like five hours left for Lyndon to fix it", Crow said. "It should be more than enough."

"We don't know that", I said. "Yusei and Bruno needed more than three days to make the old program before it got stolen. Meaning complicated stuff need a lot of time."

"That's right", Yusei nodded.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

We were sitting by the small cafeteria in the plaza, talking and eating treats we bought. I was more into watching the sundown, feeling worried that Lyndon wouldn't make it, when the noise of a clock sounded. I turned to Zora's clock shop and saw the clock was working!

Luna and Leo waved for us to come. We all got up from our seats and ran over to the clock shop.

"Oh, wow, that's awesome!" Bruno commented.

"My! He actually did it!" Zora exclaimed in both disbelief and happiness.

"Yeah, I'd say!" Crow nodded.

Lyndon came running from the garage and stopped by the corner. "So… You like?"

"Oh, Lyndon, it's beautiful!" Zora cried as she rushed towards her son with open arms.

"Thanks, Mom!" Lyndon hugged his mother once Zora embraced him.

"You made me so proud!" Zora said.

"Do you mean it?" Lyndon asked.

"Of course I mean it, Lyndon! I'm so glad you're back!" Zora confessed before she and Lyndon cried against each other's shoulders.

The sight of them being bonded again made me overwhelmed with warm emotions. I dug up a tissue from the pocket of my jacket to wipe off the tears that collected by the corner of my eyes, without removing my glasses.

How much I wished my mother and big brother could have the same parent/child relationship with warmth and love.

I felt someone place a hand on my left shoulder. I turned my head and saw it was Yusei. He was smiling with warm and looked proud at me. I smiled back in return as I felt Akiza's slim arms wrap around my left arm. I looked at her and saw her smiling as well. I returned the smile and looked at the town clock to see something just below the clock pointer.

A small slot that resembled a room with a table in the middle with three dolls, representing a family with mother, father and child.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**I'm taking a short break from this fanfic to focus on the other ones I have. I want to at least update one chapter for each of them before I begin with the Crash Town Arc. Thank you for your understanding, and I promise I will bring on lots of action and excitement for the upcoming chapters of "The Crimson Star Priestess".**


	60. Welcome to Crash Town

**I bet many of you have been waiting for the Crash Town episodes, so I can now gladly tell you that they have finally arrived!**

**Before I watched the dub version, I read about the episodes on Yu-Gi-Oh! Wiki to collect material. After reading how "brutal" the Japanese version was, I decided to add some of the censored parts in my fanfic. Why, you wonder? Life isn't just full with good things but also with bad things. You have to be aware that there will be uncomfortable parts in your life. That's one of the messages I try to send with this fanfic. Life is not a fairytale. Life is also full of danger that you must be aware of.**

**I can tell you there will be a new OC of mine involved in these next chapters. She's actually an OC that I made in the "Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's World Championship 2011: Over the Nexus" video game. I finally own a copy of that game, just like "Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's World Championship 2010: Reverse of Arcadia".**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 60: Welcome to Crash Town**

I was in the garage with the guys to hang out a bit and for a change of scenery. It was a weekday, so Akiza, Leo and Luna were in the Duel Academy. Crow was currently on lunchbreak at home while Jack had been kicked out of his last job…again, and Yusei and Bruno were working on the Duel Runner engine. Lyndon had moved into the clock shop part of the house and was closer to Zora than when he had arrived, so Crow didn't have to share his bedroom with someone.

I was in the kitchen, sitting on the couch and writing down notes in a notebook. It was for the practice lessons on using magic and other ideas I came up with. I was actually starting to run out of ideas on the basics while more inspiration for advanced training was coming almost every day.

I started considering of letting the Signers take the next step and try fusing with their Signer Dragons, like when Yusei instinctively fused with Stardust Dragon to protect me from Lester's Meklord Emperor, plus coming up with exercises to sharpen their five senses for combat.

Crow was also in the kitchen, eating a huge sandwich while Jack was sipping a cup of coffee. Yusei and Bruno were in the garage as always, but they didn't shut us out like last time when they had completed the engine design that got stolen.

"What're you thinkin' about, Estelle?" Crow spoke up.

I looked up from the notebook, seeing the carrot-head look at me with curious eyes. "Just trying to come up with new ideas for the training." I returned my eyes on the notebook. "It's soon time for you guys to sharpen your senses for combat."

"Finally we're moving on to the next level", Jack snorted. "It's gotten so boring with those easy exercises."

"Oh, yeah? Who's the one who demands to get a nice warm shower after training and spend one entire hour in there to relax your aching body?" Crow said with a serious voice.

Jack's eyes glowed with anger before he settled his cup of coffee on the coffee table and approached Crow. "Excuse me? What did you just say?"

"I'm saying you're always wasting warm water and Yusei, Bruno and I have to shower with cold water!" Crow retorted, not being intimidated by Jack. "You gotta learn on how to share things, Jack! This isn't first class for you anymore!"

"I know that!" Jack growled. "But I need to take good care of my body if I want to look good!"

"And who says you look good, huh?! I'm better-looking than you!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Yusei looks better than you two", I told them, not looking up from the notebook, while hoping to stop the fight before it could escalate.

The two young men stopped their bickering and turned to me. I looked up and saw their surprised faces before they turned into smirking.

Oh, no… Maybe I shouldn't have said anything.

"So you admit Yusei's good-looking, huh?" Crow asked with a mischievous voice.

I blushed and avoided the two men's eyes by hiding behind the notebook. "Maybe…"

"Oh, no, you don't!" Jack said before he ripped out the notebook from my hands.

I blinked surprised at the sudden move and looked up at the blonde man who held the notebook with a playful smirk on his lips. I barely ever saw Jack being playful and I had a feeling it was a bad thing.

"Now, tell us in our eyes…", Jack began.

"…Is Yusei good-looking or not?" Crow finished with his own smirk.

I shifted my eyes between Jack and Crow. Why were they so desperate to hear me say Yusei was good-looking? Was it possible they knew I had feelings for him?!

"Ehh…", I began, feeling the heat in my cheeks boiling.

"Hey, guys!" Yusei called.

Jack, Crow and I turned to the stairs where Yusei and Bruno walked up on to get to the kitchen. The only thing that stuck out was that Yusei held an envelope in his hand.

Yusei arched an eyebrow when he saw the three of us, probably thinking something had been going on before he and Bruno came up here. "What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing!" Crow said with an innocent voice.

"We just wanted to take a look at Estelle's notes for the training", Jack said before he threw the notebook back to me.

I caught the notebook and placed it on my lap with my hands, protecting it so no one could rip it out from my hands again.

Yusei seemed to have bought the excuse because he didn't ask more questions. He walked over to the couch and sat down next to me, our knees touching each other. I blushed at the close contact. I couldn't help it, especially when I just got teased by Crow and Jack to confess if Yusei was a hunk or not.

"What's with that letter, Yusei?" Crow asked, finally noticing the letter in Yusei's hands.

"It came with the mail today", Yusei said. "It says it comes from someone named Barbara in Crash Town."

Barbara? Crash Town? Those names sounded awfully familiar. Wasn't there a small arc of episodes in my dimension that was about Crash Town?

"Crash Town?" Jack questioned. "Now why does that name sound so familiar?"

"You mean Beatrix?" Crow asked. "She said she came from Crash Town."

Wait! Who was Beatrix? I couldn't remember if there was a character in the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise that had this name.

"Yep", Yusei nodded. "I remember her."

Jack looked like a questioning mark, just like Bruno. "Wait…", Jack mumbled, thinking deeply. "You mean that girl we saved when she got tricked to buy a machinery part for her friend's Duel Runner and nearly got beat up by a gang for trespassing their area?"

"That's her!" Crow grinned brightly. "I'm surprised you remember her, Jack!"

"I only met her once, Crow! I forget people that I only meet once!" Jack retorted.

"Ehh… What are you talking about?" Bruno asked.

"Who is this Beatrix you're talking about?" I also added my question.

"Allow me to answer!" Crow said, patting his chest proudly. "Back when the Enforcers were still a team, long before our leader and old friend lost his mind, we encountered a young girl named Beatrix who was visiting the Satellite with a guardian. I was the first one of our four members to meet her…in a misunderstanding way."

"What do you mean?" I wondered.

"Well, I was looking for Kokoro who had disappeared from the dock where I had my nest when I saw this pretty girl with shoulder-blades length light blue hair walking with Kokoro and holding her hand", Crow's eyes seemed to haze for a second, like he was thinking about something beautiful, before he returned to the reality. "But I thought Beatrix was the one who kidnapped Kokoro, so I challenged her on a Duel. She actually beat me with her spellcaster and warrior Deck and Kokoro told me Beatrix was just helping her. So I apologized for my rash actions and gave her a copy of Blackwing – Blizzard the Far North." He trailed off and stared in the nothingness. "I sometimes wonder how Beatrix is doing…"

"It sounds to me you like her", Bruno stated.

Crow blushed so hard that his whole face turned red before he turned to Bruno. "N-No, of course not! I only saw Beatrix once, but she left behind a big impression of her!"

"What kind of impression, Crow?" I wondered.

Crow turned to me, his face now cooled down. "Well… Beatrix is one of the shy girls and very quiet. But whenever she spoke, she had the most soft and gorgeous voice ever…"

"You like her, Crow", Jack said.

Crow glared at the blonde man. "Not! But…" He looked away with a slight sad face. "I do want to meet her again…"

I couldn't help but feel some kind of excitement about Crow's crush, even though he denied it. He didn't have any love interest in the anime in my dimension, so this was refreshing to see.

Yusei had a long time ago ripped open the envelope and read the letter. I saw from the corner of my left eye how his eyes widened lightly before he grew serious.

"Something's wrong?" I asked.

Yusei nodded, "This Barbara says there's a friend of mine in Crash Town who needs help, and she's asking me to come and bring him out of there as soon as possible or else he'll meet his doom."

"Does she say who that friend is, Yusei?" Jack wondered.

"No", Yusei shook his head. "But if there is someone who I know, then I must go and help him."

"Wait!" Crow cried out, making us all look at him. "We've got someone here who might know who it is!" He pointed at me. "Estelle, do you know who that mysterious fella could be?"

I hesitated for a second before I nodded. "I do."

Yusei turned to me with pleading eyes. "Who?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you", I replied sadly. "The chain of event reason."

"Damn it…", Crow cursed lightly. "The chain of event is more like a curse than a reason if you ask me."

"Then I better head to Crash Town right away", Yusei said and placed the letter on the coffee table before he stood up.

Bruno stepped forward. "Go and prepare yourself, Yusei, while I fix the last thing of your Duel Runner."

Yusei nodded, "Thanks, Bruno."

"And I better head back to work", Crow said before he waved. "Good luck out there, Yus, and be careful!"

"I will", Yusei nodded.

Bruno and Crow walked down the stairs to the garage with Jack following. It was only me and Yusei left in the kitchen. I could tell by Yusei's body language how he was struggling with something.

I stood up with my notebook and walked over to him. "Yusei?" He looked at me. "Are you okay?"

Yusei let out a sigh. "I don't know… Something about the letter feels a bit…off. Who is this person who claims to be friends with me?"

"I truly wish I could tell you, Yusei, but I can't", I said. "But… Would it feel better if I come along?"

Yusei looked at me with a poker face. "You want to?"

"If it feels better having a friend by your side to help you", I replied. "That, and try to help you get back that friend of yours."

Yusei turned away for a moment to think before he turned back to me with a nod. "Okay. But you better stick close to me."

I nodded, "Of course. I'll head back to Martha's and prepare a bag to bring along some stuff." Yusei looked confused. "Who knows what kind of environment there could be in Crash Town. It's never wrong to be safe."

Yusei cracked a small smile. "True. Alright, I'll wait for you."

I nodded, "I'll be as fast as I can."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

So that's how I ended up traveling with Yusei to Crash Town. It didn't take long until we entered the desert area with bare mountains and sand in the air. I sat behind Yusei on his Duel Runner with my spare helmet on and arms wrapped around his waist. I had packed a backpack with necessary things like water, food, clothes, first aid kit and other stuff for just in case. And of course, I did bring along my Duel Disk. You never knew if you needed to Duel for your life.

It was early evening with the sun still up when we made it up on a cliff where we had a great view of Crash Town. It really looked like a town in the Wild West movies; a town in the middle of nowhere.

We got off Yusei's Duel Runner and took off the helmets before we walked to the edge of the cliff. Below the cliff was something that reminded me of a graveyard. Weird Duel Disks were tied on poles that were stuck in the ground, as if there was a Duelist's grave there.

"I have a bad feeling…", I confessed.

Before Yusei could reply, we both heard a male voice cry to someone to stop. We knelt down to stand out of sight and had our eyes on the ground below us.

Three men dressed in overalls and some kind of neckbands ran away from two people that were dressed like cowboys and had red scarfs. The trio reached the cliff where we were and tried to climb up, but ended up sliding down.

The cowboys with makers on their faces had the same kind of Duel Disks as the ones in the make-up graveyard. They both pulled out one card from their Decks, ready to do something. The inmates looked scared to death, but one of them had thrown something shiny up the cliff that landed next to my left.

I turned my head to look at the shiny item, but my attention drew back to the scene below when I heard people crying. I looked down and gaped in horror. Those neckbands were some kind of neck monitors that sent electric pulses through the bearers, and they were only activated when the cowboys used their drawn cards on the Duel Disks. The three inmates lost consciousness and collapsed on the ground.

"What's going on down there?!" Yusei called, having enough of watching.

The two cowboys looked up and saw me and Yusei standing there. I was mostly glaring at the cowboys who had hurt the inmates. To me, the cowboys were the evil ones since I couldn't feel any bad aura coming from the three inmates.

"Mind your business!" one of the cowboys retorted. "These workers made a run-for-it and now we're gonna make 'em pay!"

"And just who are you to make them?" Yusei asked.

"You're asking awful lotta questions, stranger!" the smaller cowboy spat. "From the looks of it, I'd say you're a Duelist!" Yusei had his Duel Disk on his arm. "So why not just stick to what you know?! If you're any good and want to impress your girlfriend, you might actually make a few bucks here! If you're not… Then you'll be joining these three."

Again with the girlfriend talk… I started having enough of it.

The bigger cowboy grabbed two of the inmates by their overalls while the smaller one grabbed the third inmate that had thrown the shiny item, dragging them back to where they ran away from.

I turned to the shiny item that was a pendant in the shape of a teardrop and being light blue and had a strange pattern. I picked it up with my thumb and point finger to examine it. It didn't have any cracks, so it was safe.

Yusei stood next to me and looked at the pendant. "A pendant…"

I clenched my hand with the pendant before putting it in the pocket of my jacket. "I'll keep it for now." I turned to Yusei. "But we must go."

Yusei nodded, "We need to get to the bottom of this mystery."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

We drove to the main entrance of Crash Town and I couldn't help but wonder about the sign. I think they had accidently misspelled it because it said "Well come to Crash Town" with a cow or bull head's skeleton as emblem. Maybe it should say "Welcome to Crash Town"?

Yusei drove deeper into town that was strangely quiet. No one was out there, but both Yusei and I spotted curious heads popping out from the windows of the buildings, both men and women alike. I barely saw any children. But I could tell the majority of the people were actually afraid.

Something was wrong in this town. I only knew who Yusei's friend was that Barbara mentioned in the letter, but I barely remembered what was going to happen here during our stay.

Yusei stopped his Duel Runner by a crossroad. I got off first before he followed me and we put away the helmets in a slot in the Duel Runner. I grabbed my backpack with my Duel Runner strapped on, and Yusei put on his hybrid Duel Disk, just before we got greeted by three laughing cowboys from behind that had the same outfit as the two other cowboys we saw before. Their red scarfs were mainly their symbol for belonging to a group.

"Hey, punk! You and yer gal aren't from around here, aren't ya?" the first cowboy asked with a smirk.

"Nah, they ain't, so they need a proper welcome!" the bigger cowboy suggested.

"That's right! Prepare to Duel!" the shortest cowboy told us.

I couldn't help but feel the cowboys' eyes were mainly on me because I was a woman and had a decent body. Ugh…

"No thanks", Yusei replied. "I generally make a rule not to Duel amateurs."

I got surprised when I heard that coming out from Yusei's mouth. Did he want to provoke the cowboys?! No, that wouldn't be his style. But I had to admit, he had gotten braver lately, especially verbally.

The trio however didn't take it good.

"Say what?!" the tallest cowboy snarled.

Two of them ran so they could surround us like a triangle.

"We got a wise guy here!" the smallest cowboys smirked. "This is _our_ town! And nobody but nobody talks to us that way! You got it?!"

"Is that so?" Yusei questioned, keeping his poker face on.

"Sure is!" the tallest cowboy replied. "So shuffle up your cards and get ready to throw down!"

"Hardcore!" the biggest cowboy added. "'Cause a Duel here ain't any like any kind of Duel you ever had before!"

Yusei held up his arm with Duel Disk, ready to activate it, when a woman's voice called.

"Stop."

We all turned to a flower shop where a woman with long, black, wavy hair and brown eyes stepped out with a bouquet of white roses. She had slight tanned skin and was dressed in a long burgundy skirt and a black top that covered only her chest and the sleeves were attached on her arms, leaving her collarbone, shoulders and stomach exposed.

"There will be a time to Duel, but that time is not now, so lay off", the woman told the cowboys.

The cowboys turned to the woman, looking a bit surprised.

"Besides…", the woman added as she walked over to the smallest cowboy that was closest to her. "You're supposed to welcome a guest with flowers, not threats." She pushed the bouquet into the cowboy's hands before she walked over to me and Yusei. "And he and his companion are guests because he was invited by _me_."

"I was?" Yusei asked surprised.

The woman turned to Yusei with a soft smile. "Yes. I'm Barbara. I'm the one who wrote to you."

Yusei looked quite surprised to see the writer of the letter. Maybe he expected an older woman in same age like Martha? I didn't know.

Barbara turned her eyes on me. She put on a gentle smile, but it felt false to me. "You must have been worried about your boyfriend that you decided to come along, dear."

I blushed lightly, but the warm feeling on my cheeks disappeared fast. "I'm not Yusei's girlfriend. I tagged along because I didn't want him to go somewhere all alone, despite he's capable of taking care of himself."

It was then I noticed the three cowboys were already gone. They surely listened to a woman's order, especially one that was beautiful like Barbara, but only with the appearance.

"I guess the more the merrier is better than just one person with this case", Barbara said.

"What exactly is going on here?" Yusei asked.

"I'll tell you once we're out of town and have a good view", Barbara replied.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Barbara led me and Yusei to a cliff where Yusei could hide his Duel Runner behind some dry bushes. Of course, we had to add more to properly hide the Duel Runner because it was valuable for thieves even out here in the desert.

The sun was big and ready to hit the horizon. The sky had turned into pink and purple while the clouds reflected the strong orange colors of the sun. The town almost seemed to have been painted in gold.

Barbara sat on the cliff while Yusei and I finished hiding the Duel Runner. Once we were done, we walked back to Barbara while I fished up a pair of sunglasses from my backpack. The sun in front of us was pretty strong and my eyes stung by it.

"So you're Barbara; the one who wrote me the letter about saving my old friend?" Yusei began.

"Yes", Barbara replied before she spotted a flower right next to her being pressed down by a rock. "He needs you." She removed the rock off the flower. "And I'm only trying to help."

I didn't know why, but I had a feeling there was more into this than just saving Yusei's friend. Barbara didn't feel sympathetic to me.

"Who is he? And just what does he need saving from?" Yusei asked.

"You'll see from what in just a moment, Yusei", Barbara said as she stood up. "For as the sun sets… The dangers in this town begin to rise. Watch… It won't be long now."

We saw two groups of Duel Runners driving into two from two different directions. The groups stopped by the same crossroad where Yusei and I had met Barbara. Two figures, one from each group, got off the motorcycles that were on the front. They were probably the leaders of the two groups. I could barely see how they looked like.

"The group wearing the red scarfs is known as the Malcolm Crew", Barbara pointed at the cowboys that Yusei and I saw earlier today. "That fellow with the creepy grin out front is their leader; Malcolm." She turned her finger at the other group. "The group facing them is the Radley Bunch. That rascal-looking man at the head of the pack is Radley; their leader."

"Looks like they're squaring off, but why?" Yusei wondered.

"You'll see why soon enough", Barbara assured. "Just keep watching."

A giant man from the Malcolm Crew jumped out from a jeep and stepped up to the crossroad that the sun lit up. Because of the sunglasses, I couldn't see how he looked like, but he was huge.

The sound of a harmonica reached my ears that came from the direction where the sun was. A silhouette stepped forward as it kept playing the harmonica. When it came closer, I saw the figure had long hair and a coat that flew along with the wind.

Yusei gasped loudly next to me when he realized who that mysterious figure was.

Kalin Kessler.

Kalin stopped playing with his harmonica once he stood by the Radley Bunch.

"Is that Kalin?!" Yusei exclaimed in shock.

"The law says that Duels can only be weighed during dusk. It's hardly a property too", Barbara added. "Because those that lose…vanish just as the sun does."

"What do you mean vanish? Are you saying that Kalin is in some kind of a danger?" Yusei asked worriedly.

"Most definitely", Barbara replied. "That's why I wrote you. But for now, all we can do is watch, because the Duel is about to start."

The residents of Crash Town started coming out, men and women alike. Even some children. They all gathered by the crossroad to watch the Duel that would soon begin.

For some reason, I couldn't help but feel worried. I didn't know how this was going to end. I glanced at Yusei, seeing his eyes were focused on Kalin. I turned my eyes down on his arm, wanting to hold his hand for comfort. But I didn't have the courage to do it. So the only thing I could do was to hold myself back by clenching my left hand into a fist.

A horse with a carriage ran to the crossroad from the other direction of the sun. Two people were sitting there as they stopped the horse. There was something in the carriage, but I couldn't see what it was.

It was also deadly quiet in town. Everyone seemed to wait for the sun to hit the horizon so the Duel could begin. It felt like you were in a ghost town with zombies that were hunting for blood and guts or whatever they liked.

I felt more nervous for each passing second. I knew I wasn't the one Dueling, but I was still worried about Kalin. What was really going on here? Why did Kalin come to Crash Town in the first place? I truly wished I could remember at least tiny hints about this "adventure".

I blinked when I felt a hand wrap around my left hand. I looked down and saw Yusei had unclenched my hand and held it with his own. I looked up and saw his eyes still staring at the scene, but I felt a nervous aura around him. He was worried too and, just as me, he searched for comfort to endure this.

The moment finally came and the Duel was now taking off, Kalin going out first because he was the fastest one to pull out this gun-thing that transformed into a Duel Disk and drew his five first cards from his Deck.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

During the Duel, Barbara told us the reason why Kalin was here in Crash Town. Apparently, he wanted to punish himself for what he did in the past. Maybe that meant both the time when he had gone crazy back in Satellite and the time when he had been a Dark Signer. Or maybe it was mostly when he was a Dark Signer, and he had let that guilt eat through him.

Barbara also added that there was a mountain here with mines where they mined a rare mineral that was used for the construction of Duel Runners. When the mineral was discovered long time ago, people came here and built the town that was now known as Crash Town. People grew rich by the mineral. And now, years later, only two groups were left fighting over the mines; Malcolm Crew and Radley Bunch. But the groups became greedy and were desperate for more manpower and began enslaving people to work in the mines. And now they Duel about the mines and who would get it the rights for owning them.

And not only that. Because Malcolm and Radley got lots of money, they could hire strong Duelists to Duel for them. If those Duelists won, they could earn lots of money. But if they lost, they ended up being sent to the mines.

Quite a complicated story, if you ask me. But also very foolish. Why not share the mines instead of fighting? I guess people ended up becoming blind and simpleminded when it came to something valuable as the Gold Rush back in my dimension in year 1849 in California or in year 1896 in Klondike.

The Duel ended with Kalin as the victor. The Giant, his opponent, tried to escape the ones that were sitting on the carriage, but they grabbed him by a rope and pulled him up on the carriage and into that weird item, that I now saw it was a coffin, before they took off to the mountain with the mines.

Yusei let go of my hand before he ran down the cliff. I could tell he wanted to talk to Kalin and hopefully bring him back. While he was running towards the town, I saw how the two groups were taking off.

Barbara let out a soft sigh as she and I walked after Yusei. He had been able to stop Kalin from driving, but Kalin left shortly after without saying anything. Yusei desperately wanted to help Kalin, but Barbara said she had an idea.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

We walked back to Barbara's flower shop where she could explain her plan for Yusei. We were in the woman's apartment above her flower shop as she pulled out a brown poncho from a wardrobe with a belt that had the same gun that Kalin and the Giant had used before as their Duel Disks. I had removed my backpack from my back and placed it on a chair to let my shoulders rest.

"You have to beat Malcolm's students. Only then Malcolm will trust you enough to Duel for his crew", Barbara explained. "Then if you can beat Kalin, we'll make our move. Before they drag him off to work forever in those mountains, we'll take him."

Yusei was quiet for a moment before he nodded. "I'll do it." He accepted the poncho and the gun belt.

Barbara smiled lightly. "Kalin is surely fortunate to have such a great friend. Now, if you excuse me, I need to take care of my flowers before I close the shop."

The woman walked down the stairs that led to her shop. Yusei and I remained in the living room/kitchen area as Yusei strapped on the gun belt around his waist, preparing himself.

I still had a nagging feeling deep inside. You could say I started feeling a bit restless. Yusei was going to risk his life to save Kalin, and what worried me the most was if there were actual guns in Crash Town. Who knew if someone would break a rule by pulling out a gun and shoot Yusei or Kalin to death?

I didn't want to see the men's blood paint the ground. I couldn't bear to lose anyone of them, especially Yusei. But what could I do right now? Sit in the background and do nothing else but watch everything? What if Barbara had something planned that involved me? I did remember something about she was a bad guy, but I couldn't remember the details.

"Estelle?" Yusei called.

I snapped out of my thoughts and turned to Yusei. He had just put on the poncho and swiped it lightly, revealing his usual outfit underneath it.

"Yes?" I asked.

"You've been so quiet this whole time", Yusei looked at me with worried eyes. "Are you okay?"

I let out a deep sigh. "I don't know… I'm just…worried." I looked at the man in front of me. "I fear anything could go wrong and I don't know what I can do or how I can help." I shook my head and turned my eyes down on the floor. "I feel so…" I couldn't find the word I was looking for. "…useless, I guess."

"Hey", Yusei grabbed my chin and turned my head back so we had eye contact. "Everything will be alright. I'll join the Malcolm Crew, beat Kalin and we can leave the town tomorrow evening already."

"But…", I began. "What if something goes wrong?"

Yusei looked away, still holding my chin with his clothed fingers. "I… I don't know." He turned back to me. "But I want you to stay safe. Don't get yourself involved with something dangerous."

I felt my lips turn into a small smile and nodded, making Yusei release his hold on me. "Okay then." I turned around and walked over to the chair where I had my backpack, lifting it up.

Yusei looked surprised when I put on the backpack. "Wait, where're you going, Estelle?"

"I'll try to find an inn and stay there for the night", I turned to him. "There's something about Barbara I don't like, so I don't want to take the risk that I'll end up in a dangerous situation because of her."

"Are you sure?" Yusei asked. "I mean, Barbara sent me the letter to help Kalin and explained everything. She can't be a bad guy."

"I trust my instincts, Yusei, and so far they've always been right", I told him before I turned my back to him. "Good luck, Yusei."

I headed to the stairs down to the flower shop. I thought that was the end of our conversation, but imagine my surprise when I heard Yusei call my name in a desperate way.

"Wait, Estelle!"

He grabbed my left hand, making me stop walking. I turned around and saw his face looking serious. And it looked way too serious than usual. His eyes shone with care and worry and something else I couldn't identify.

Yusei stared at me before he opened his mouth. "Estelle. _If_ something bad would happen to any of us… _If_ I can't come back alive with Kalin… I need to tell you something I've been holding back for a long time."

I arched an eyebrow. What could Yusei have been holding back and something that was so important that he saved it until now?

"Estelle…", Yusei took a deep breath. "I love you."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Ladies and gentlemen, Yusei Fudo has confessed! But what will Estelle answer? See that in the next chapter! ;)**


	61. New Allies

**In last chapter, Yusei finally gathered his courage to confess to Estelle. But what will Estelle say about that? Find out soon.**

**I forgot to mention this, but the month in the story is now May. I added a small note in Chapter 59 at the beginning while I was going through the chapters between 51 and 60 to fix some errors I noticed. After all, we're close to the WRGP.**

**And sorry if the chapter ended up a bit short. This is mostly about some new characters getting involved. And there will be some depressing parts too, just a warning.**

**The chapter begins in normal point of view.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 61: New Allies**

It was quiet after Yusei's confession. Both he and Estelle were silent as the man's words processed through the woman's brain.

Yusei held back his breath just as he held Estelle's wrist. He was feeling nervous and his fast-beating heart didn't make things better. Was it weird that his palms got sweaty under his gloves?

Estelle's face had turned into slight surprise when she heard Yusei's confession. She did not except hearing that in a time and place like now. Her head turned blank as soon as the man's words made it into her brain.

Yusei loved her? Her, of all people?!

This was not what she wanted to hear. After living so many months in this dimension, nearly a year, her love for Yusei had grown so strong that she rather lived on with the knowing that Yusei would be happier with someone else in his arms.

Estelle's lips formed slowly into a smile and her eyes shone with compassion. "I love you too, Yusei."

Yusei's eyes started shining in relief and happiness.

"You're a precious friend to me, and I would do everything in my power to protect you and everyone else", Estelle added quickly.

Yusei blinked in surprise at the reply. Because of the slight shock, his grip on Estelle's wrist grew weak. Estelle felt the grip loosing, so she gently pulled her wrist out from Yusei's hand and walked down the stairs.

Barbara was finishing putting away the sensitive flowers when she heard footsteps coming from the stairs. She turned around and saw the brown-haired woman coming down with her backpack.

"Excuse me, Estelle, but where are you going?" Barbara asked.

Estelle stopped by the door and turned to the flower shop's owner. "I'll go to an inn and stay there for the night."

Barbara's eyes widened slightly before she turned back to her kind side. "But I have a guestroom where you can sleep. You're welcome to stay here."

Estelle shook her head. "Thank you for the offer, but I wouldn't like to be a bother for you. And don't worry, I'll be fine."

With that said, Estelle walked out to the slight chilly night, leaving a slight growling woman in the shop.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV**

I just stood there, staring at the stairs where Estelle had walked down. Her words echoed in my head.

Friend…

Did she see me just as a friend?

The shock and confusion slowly turned into slight anger. I turned to the table and hit it with my fist. I had been so certain that Estelle loved me. I remembered the times when Estelle seemed to show how much she liked me by hugging and kissing my head and sometimes blushing whenever she was around me, and how protective she was whenever I was in danger. She always took the blows that were meant for me.

But… She always protected everyone around her. Despite her being the Crimson Star Priestess, she always put me and the others before herself. I knew it was actually us Signers' mission to protect the Priestess, but because we didn't have experience on how to use our own powers and martial arts and weapons we couldn't really do anything to help. Estelle did now help us train on how to awaken our powers and become stronger, but I felt that wasn't enough. I needed to practice more by myself if I wanted to protect not only the Priestess but also the woman I loved.

I realized maybe Estelle misunderstood me because I didn't tell her any details in my confession. Women needed to hear the reasons why a man fell in love with them, and Estelle needed more explanation because she could easily misunderstand things thanks to her autistic behaviors.

I face palmed and rubbed my face, releasing a deep sigh. That had been my mistake with the confession, and I only realized it now. I guess that made me a blockhead in the subject of love.

I let go of my thoughts and turned my thoughts to the situation with Kalin. I had to go and defeat Malcolm's students to gain his trust.

But I made myself a promise to tell Estelle about my confession and that I didn't just see her as a friend once I saved Kalin.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I felt a bit bad about my reply on Yusei's confession, but those words were my honest feelings. I didn't want to grow deeper into the subject and tell him that I actually loved him, but I wanted him to be happy with someone else. After all, I would leave this world once my mission was over. No ifs and buts, as the Crimson Dragon had said with his own words.

I looked around in the town, trying to find a place that looked like an inn. It was a bit creepy since the lights were out in the houses and no one seemed to be awake. Did Crash Town have rules about when the villagers had to go and sleep? This was a small community, so I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

"Hey, lass!" an old voice called.

I jumped lightly, but recovered myself before I turned around. An old man in around 70 years stood there on the road. He had a big black cowboy hat on that hid his long white hair that was tied up in a ponytail. He had a white moustache too and green eyes. He was dressed like a cowboy, but not the same style as the Malcolm Crew.

"What do you think you're doing out here so late, lass?" the man wondered as he walked up to me.

I hesitated for a second. "I'm looking for an inn to stay."

"Then I'm afraid I have bad news for you, lass", the old man replied. "The inn is closed already due to the town's curfew."

I let out a soft hiss in disappointment. "I had a feeling that was the case…"

"But I saw you coming to town with that male companion of yours with a red Duel Runner", the old man continued. "You wouldn't be friends with someone from the Enforcers?"

I looked at the old man in surprise. "You've heard about the Enforcers and their members?"

The old man nodded, "But of course! They were quite popular out here in Crash Town years ago and my granddaughter had the honor to meet them when they helped her out during our visit in Satellite."

A granddaughter meeting the Enforcers and helping her… Could it be…

"Your granddaughter wouldn't be called Beatrix, mister?" I asked politely.

The old man arched an eyebrow, but nodded. "Why yes. But how do you know her name?"

"My friend Crow told me about her", I replied.

The old man got a small smile on his face. "Then if you know Crow, then you're a friend of mine and Beatrix's. Please come and stay over at my house."

I held a hand, shaking it left to right. "No, I can't do that-"

"It's actually safer to be indoors at this time of day, especially for a young woman like you, lass", the old man interrupted me. "Men from both the Malcolm Crew and the Radley Bunch often patrol Crash Town and there have been cases when they find a woman walking around here and they take her out to the desert to…"

The old man didn't need to finish his sentence. I nodded my head, telling him I understood what he tried to tell me.

"Are you certain I can stay over?" I asked to be sure. I didn't want to feel like I was a bother in a stranger's house.

"Did I stutter when I told you?" the old man retorted a bit playfully. "Just come, lass. My house is at the entrance of the town. My name is Klaus. What's yours?"

"Estelle", I replied.

"Estelle, huh?" Klaus arched an eyebrow. "You wouldn't be the Fortune Cup champion from last year?"

"That's me", I nodded.

"Well, it's a good thing I found you before someone else from the groups", Klaus told me. "If one of them would have recognized you as the Fortune Cup champion, they would have hired you to Duel for them."

I nodded lightly. "You're right…"

Now when Klaus said that, he was actually right. I could have been forced by one of the groups to Duel against their rival and maybe be sent to the mines or worse…

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Klaus led me to a house that was by the entrance with the misspelled sign. I could see there was some light coming from the house through the window, but it was weak. The old man unlocked the door and held it open for me to enter first. I nodded as thanks and stepped inside.

I was met by a big room that seemed to be both living room and kitchen at the same time. The kitchen area was by a corner with a stove, oven, sink, shelves for supplies, cupboards for crockery and cutlery, and refrigerator with a small freezer. There was also one big table with five chairs around it and on one of the chairs sat a girl.

The girl seemed to be around Akiza's age and she had shoulder blades-length light blue hair with a white headband. Her outfit had a cowboy theme and it was light blue and black. When she looked up from the magazine she was reading, I saw she had grey eyes and pale skin.

She must be Beatrix.

Klaus walked over to Beatrix who studied the old man with questioning eyes. "She's an outsider and does not belong to one of the groups, Beatrix."

Beatrix nodded before she returned her eyes on the magazine.

Klaus let out a small grunt before he turned to me. "I apologize for Beatrix. She's a very quiet girl, but kind."

"I understand, Klaus", I nodded. "I can relate myself on that since I used to be quiet when I was her age."

Beatrix looked up a bit when I said that.

"You do look like a quiet but mature woman, lass", Klaus said. "Please make yourself at home. Beatrix, think you can make some dinner for us?"

Beatrix nodded and got up from the chair before she walked over to the kitchen area and began working.

I placed down my backpack next to a couch where I would probably sleep for the night. I did spot two doors that probably led to bedrooms and one door for a bathroom.

Soon the dinner was served. It was a typical dinner with bacon, egg, toast and tea. We ate quietly since Klaus insisted that we would speak after dinner about the reason why Yusei and I were here in Crash Town.

Once we finished eating and the plates were washed, I told Klaus and Beatrix about the letter that Barbara had sent to Yusei and how I came along to help Yusei to save Kalin, and added Barbara's idea of Yusei joining the Malcolm Crew.

Klaus crossed his arms and let out a grunt. "I never liked Barbara, and there's a reason why."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Barbara is actually on Malcolm's side", Klaus replied. "And if my sixth sense is correct, it's possible she's planning something. That's why she sent words to Yusei and asked him to come." He let out a soft sigh. "But imagine my surprise when I saw Kalin coming to Crash Town a couple of months ago."

Beatrix nodded in agreement.

"How was Kalin when he came here?" I asked.

"Depressed", Klaus replied. "I caught words from him how he wants to commit suicide by Dueling in order to atone for his wrongdoing, whatever that is."

I didn't really get what Klaus meant by that sentence. "You mean he wants to commit…suicide by Dueling and lose for once so he can be sent to the mines and work himself to death?"

"Yes, something like that", Klaus nodded.

This meant Kalin was the only one of the old Dark Signers who remembered the past when he went mad and evil, because there was no way that Kalin would punish himself so deadly of what he did on the last day for the Enforcers.

"Kalin…", I mumbled sadly.

He must have been feeling so bad for all the damage he had done to Yusei and everyone around him. It was really sad to think about it. Kalin had become so depressed that he lost his sight on life and wanted to vanish from the world.

"West is a big fan of Kalin's", Beatrix suddenly spoke up.

I looked at her in slight surprise. She had been silent the whole time that I didn't except her to talk at all.

"West keeps trying to talk to Kalin and tells him he's an inspiration", Beatrix continued. "But Kalin is stubborn to see there are children around him who can be his driving force to stay alive."

Wow… Despite being a quiet girl, Beatrix was wise.

Klaus nodded, "The lad is still so young and has the whole life ahead, but he rather waste it by trying to…punish himself until his heart is no longer beating." He let out a sigh. "I do understand he's a former criminal due to his marker, the majority of people here have markers, but none of them are so desperate they want to kill themselves because of their past mistakes."

I turned my eyes down on the table, knowing the reason why. "Kalin…almost hurt his friends in a way that was unforgiving." Klaus and Beatrix looked at me curiously. "An evil force took over him and made him go all crazy, and because of that madness he nearly killed Yusei."

"He almost killed one of his friends…?" Beatrix mumbled in disbelief.

I nodded, "However, in the end, Yusei could save him, but apparently Kalin can't let go of the past, feeling ashamed for what he had done, and now wants to do what he want to. He must be thinking he has no place in this world and no one who truly cares for him, but he's wrong." I looked up at the two people in front of me. "Yusei and the others still care about him. That West boy admires him. And even I worry about him because he's my friend. Those reasons should be more than enough for him to keep living."

I could relate myself on feeling so depressed that I once wanted to commit suicide myself. It was during my first years as a teenager. I had been fighting mentally against so many bad things in life like school and bullies and having no friends and that drove me crazy. I got dark thoughts and I kept eating on it until I felt like I had no reason to live. However, when I was close to strike the razor I once held in my hand, I remembered the good things in my life. My parents, my interests, my dog, and my hobbies. Such small things helped me stay alive and brought me out of the depression. I learned to not expect big and good things in my life but enjoy the small and good things instead. That's what life was all about.

"Exactly my thoughts, lass", Klaus nodded. "Well, I suggest we keep talking about the matter tomorrow. It's too late for a deeper conversation."

Both Beatrix and I nodded in agreement.

I got a blanket and a pillow to sleep with on the couch. I also got to clean myself in the family's bathroom and change into pyjamas.

Once Beatrix and Klaus retired to their bedrooms, I lied down on the couch and pulled the blanket on me. I kept staring at the ceiling, feeling conflicted and worried for both Yusei and Kalin.

I remembered my mother telling me several times how she hated people who had suicide thoughts or were depressed because of their so-called "miserable" lives. She often asked herself why people lost their sight of life when they had everything they needed. But sometimes the smallest thing could bring the human being's spirit down and they would escape to the alcohol, drugs and sex. Those things were not good for the body in every way, but the drugs were the worst in my opinion. The drugs were literally toxic and if you take an overdose, you'll die. No second chance in life.

I wasn't the one who believed there was a second life when you die. Those ideas existed in fantasy books and other nonsense.

I turned on the couch and lied on my left side, facing the living room. My brain seemed to overwork because I wasn't feeling tired because off all the worry I held. And I was still thinking about Yusei's confession.

I felt bad for breaking Yusei's heart, but I had to. I didn't want him to be "chained" around me and be the reason to give him a bigger broken heart when I leave. It would pain him greatly, even more than what he must have felt when I rejected him.

I shook my head and closed my eyes, hoping I would soon fall asleep. Tomorrow was going to be a long day and I needed to have all my energy to go through tomorrow's Duel.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**The link to Beatrix's appearance is on the profile.**


	62. Is This Our New Lives

**For those who are wondering if Klaus and Beatrix are based on the play character and Klaus from "Over the Nexus" YGO 5D's game… That's correct. I thought it would be nice to add Klaus since he's an interesting character in the game and having another OC of mine in the story would make it better.**

**Don't you think Kalin is pretty similar to Riku from Kingdom Hearts? They both had short hair in the beginning and grew evil, but later they both got long hair and tried redoing for their wrongs. Plus take closer look at Kalin's Japanese name Kiryu. The "kir" part is like the beginning of Riku's name but backwards, and there's a U in the end of both names.**

**A fair warning; there will be some mature talking in the middle of the chapter.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 62: Is This Our New Lives?**

The morning was quiet. I ate breakfast with Beatrix and Klaus before I headed out to walk around in Crash Town to see more of it. There was barely any people out since the main event always occurred by the sundown. Crash Town had a "ghost town" feeling and it was in the daylight. Pretty weird.

I walked past Barbara's flower shop, seeing no one there, not even Yusei, and headed north to take a closer look at the mountain where the Dyne mines were. I didn't know why, but the thoughts of mines reminded me of an incident back in my dimension when several men got trapped underground in a coal mine and barely survived a month, if not less, when the government could save each one of them. It was scary just to think about it. There were many dangers in the mines; dusty air, unstable caverns, hidden natural traps, you name it.

I stood there in the middle of the desert, with Crash Town two hundred meters behind me, as I surveyed the mountain. I couldn't see any roads on the mountain or signs that there was a mine there. It looked like a plain mountain that decorated the landscape, but held a hidden treasure like the sap in the trees or the nectar in the flowers.

I soon grew bored of watching the mountain and walked back to Crash Town. I was 50 meters from the crossroad when I saw Yusei walk out of Barbara's flower shop and sat down on a chair. I halted on my walk and stood there, getting a bit nervous.

How was I going to face Yusei? I did tell him I loved him as a friend, but what if I had misunderstood his confession? …No, that's impossible! There was no way he would love me as a woman. I was just as important to him as he was to me.

And he deserved someone from his own dimension and not an outsider like me. I was going to return to my dimension, so there were many factors that made it impossible for us to be together. I loved Yusei, but I loved him so much I wanted him to be happy with someone else. But it still hurt in my heart, knowing I couldn't tell him the truth.

I shook off the nervousness and walked over to Yusei who was polishing his Gunman's Disk. I got to learn the name of the gun Duel Disk from Klaus and Beatrix.

"I take it you gained Malcolm's trust, Yusei", I spoke up, making him look up from his Gunman's Disk. "Since you're polishing your gun like a real cowboy does before the Duel."

Yusei stared at me for a second before he nodded and turned his eyes down on the Gunman's Disk. "Yeah. His three students almost had me, but I made it through." He put away the Gunman's Disk before looking at me again. "Did you find an inn for the night?"

I shook my head. "Not exactly." Yusei arched an eyebrow in confusion. "I was looking for an inn, but an old man named Klaus walked up to me and said the inn was close due to Crash Town's curfew. But he said I could stay over at his house with his granddaughter Beatrix."

"Beatrix?" Yusei said in slight disbelief.

I nodded, "The very same Beatrix that you, Kalin, Jack and Crow met back in Satellite. She showed me her Blackwing – Blizzard the Far North card this morning."

Yusei couldn't help but smile lightly. "Crow's going to be happy to hear she kept his card." I nodded in agreement.

Barbara came out from her flower shop with a bouquet of white roses. Yusei noticed the flowers in her arms. "Flowers again, Barbara? Guess it's good to know; even way out here, something pure can bloom."

I spotted something among the flowers and couldn't help but widen my eyes. "Is that…dynamite?"

Yusei looked at me in surprise and turned around for a closer look. And indeed, there were three stick of dynamite barely hidden in the bouquet.

"It's not just these flowers that can bloom", Barbara said. "Hope blooms as well. If you can somehow manage to defeat Kalin in a Duel, then I'll have the tools to free him before he's banished to the mine forever."

And with that said, she explained her plan in details for both me and Yusei.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

It felt like the sundown arrived with a snail's pace. All I did the entire day was to walk around in Crash Town and outside of the town, and have a small Duel with Beatrix indoors with a play mat since it was forbidden to have a Duel outside in daylight.

Klaus recommended to me that I should avoid the crossroad where the Duel would occur since he said his sixth sense warned him there was something else behind Barbara's invitation. I felt the very same. But I needed to watch the Duel and hear both Yusei and Kalin talk. Maybe Kalin would reveal his secret of why he was here in Crash Town and punishing himself. I needed to be there to help the guys. It was a bit foolish since I knew Barbara was a bad guy, but I could always summon a Monster or use an effect of my Spell and Trap cards if I needed to.

I walked over to the crossroad and headed inside Barbara's flower shop. Barbara stood by the counter and prepared a bouquet of white roses with the dynamite while Yusei just leant against a wall with his arms crossed. He looked at me and then turned to Barbara, as if trying to see if she was looking at us which she didn't, before he turned back to me.

Yusei pushed himself from the wall and looked at me with serious eyes. "Estelle."

"Yes?" I asked.

He stared into my eyes before he grabbed both my shoulders, catching me off guard. "When everything here is over… I need to talk to you. And I need you to hear me out."

I got a bit surprised. I thought he had already said what he needed to last night, so why… Realization washed over me, but I didn't let my shocked expression appear on my face.

What if Yusei's confession last night had been a confession of love?!

Barbara cleared her throat, causing Yusei to release his hold on my shoulders. "Yusei… It's time."

Yusei nodded, knowing it was time for the Duel. He walked past me, but he grabbed my hand and squeezed it for a second before he walked out.

I stood there frozen for a moment. What if Yusei was going to tell me he love-loved me and not friendship-loved me after this adventure was over…?

I was conflicted by my own feelings. I wanted to be with him. I loved him. But I didn't want to give him a broken heart. He had suffered enough by losing his biological parents. I couldn't bear to crush his fragile heart when I would leave the dimension.

I shook my head, trying to get rid of those thoughts. I had to focus on the present. I took a deep breath, smelling the flowers' scent in the flower shop and breathed out. Once I felt composed and ready, I stepped out of the flower shop.

The Malcolm Crew and the Radley Bunch had already arrived, just like how the residents of the town had awakened by the soon-to-be action. The carriage that would take the loser to the mines had arrived, ready to get today's prey. Yusei and Kalin stood there, ready for the sun to hit the horizon. Barbara came out and stood next to my right side, but I stepped a bit away from her. I didn't want to get ambushed or something by the end of the Duel. I needed to be cautious.

Everyone, except the Duelists, watched the sun and saw it touch the horizon. The residents of Crash Town yelled "Draw!", and both Yusei and Kalin had drawn out their Gunman's Disks, attached them on their wrists and drew the first five cards. But since no one had been able to see who was first, the champion got the first draw, meaning Kalin.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Kalin used his Trap card Infernity Reflector during Yusei's first turn, and what surprised us all was how the Trap card's effect felt so realistic. The wind blew harder than it should do with the Solid Vision projection. Even Kalin looked surprised. It made me wonder for a second if Kalin was actually a Psychic Duelist like Akiza.

Speaking of Kalin, he suddenly started talking about how fate brought him to Crash Town and such nonsense, and it all began with his Infernity Randomizer when Yusei commented how Kalin relied on dumb luck that wasn't his style when he activated Infernity Randomizer's special ability.

And what made me angry was how Kalin said he deserved to get punished for his past mistakes. He said he deserved to suffer by the small fragile of pain that he allowed to take over his soul. He was unable to get it go, and he knew Yusei was trying to use the Duel to reach his heart. I wanted to say a piece of my mind to Kalin, but I feared if I interfered in the Duel then I would get shipped to the mines as well.

The fate and destiny talk from Kalin also made Yusei a bit upset, but especially angry because it wasn't fate or destiny that brought Kalin to Crash Town and now Dueling Yusei. Everything Kalin had done so far was by his own choice. That was a totally different thing.

And the reason why Kalin had "survived" so far was because he still held a small ray of hope inside. He was unconsciously fighting the small piece of depression inside him. That was actually very admirable. And when you think about it, Kalin could have chosen to commit suicide right away when he got so depressed, but he didn't. He had been fighting this whole time, but it was soon time for him to stop with the fight and let me and Yusei help him see the light and realize there was no need to suffer anymore.

The past was now in the past. You had to move on with your life and live in the present. That was something my mother told me once when I had grown depressed during my teenager years.

Kalin Synchro summoned a new Monster that was called Infernity Doom Dragon. Something told me there was going to be a dragon clash dragon if Yusei was going to bring out Stardust Dragon in the end.

Yusei did Synchro summon Stardust Dragon in his next turn after Kalin had Synchro summoned Infernity Doom Dragon. And after a couple of turns and combos, Yusei defeated Kalin.

I watched how those men with the carriage threw a lasso at Kalin and trapped him. Kalin didn't make any moves to get out of the bind. He just let the men pull him towards the carriage.

"Barbara, now!" Yusei whispered, but loud enough for me and Barbara to hear.

But Barbara didn't throw the bouquet to Yusei. She just stood there all frozen.

I was about to grab the bouquet from the woman's hands to throw the hidden weapon to Yusei when I suddenly felt something hit my back and it shocked me. I yelled out in pain and collapsed on the ground onto my stomach. I heard Yusei call my name before he let out a cry of pain himself. I could barely feel my body, but I was able to keep my eyes open. I saw Yusei lying on the ground like me, but he was on his back. He was just as paralyzed as me.

Barbara stepped up to Yusei while letting out a wicked laugh. "Sorry, but you won't be able to move for a while due to that cyber ray blast", she explained as she tore apart the bouquet and revealed a shotgun. Had that blast I felt on my back been the same thing that hit Yusei?

I watched Malcolm walk up to Barbara while we all heard the loud engine of a Duel Runner. A big, bulky and drill-shaped Duel Runner drove into town and stopped by the crossroad. The vehicle reminded me for a moment of Bulkhead from the animated cartoon Transformers Prime in my dimension. The one who rode it looked familiar to me as well. I knew I'd seen him when I scrolled around on the official Yu-Gi-Oh! Wikia website, but I had read so little about him. But all I knew was he was a bad guy. It was literally written all over on his face.

His Duel Runner was of advanced technology. It carried two Gunman's Disks and four standard Duel Disks, making him able to Duel against several opponents at once.

The members of the Malcolm Crew cheered for the man who removed his helmet and revealed his black hair that was tied up into a short ponytail. The man threw a Gunman's Disk at Radley who got knocked down by it. From what I was able to catch, Radley said this man was Malcolm's little brother Lawton.

Lawton stopped the carriage from leaving since there was still time for another Duel, so Lawton challenged Radley. And imagine my surprise when I saw Lawton winning the Duel during the very first turn of the entire Duel. Radley got so shocked that he fainted after he had been hit by all those shoots from Gatling Ogre. It made the work easier for the men whose duty was to take the losers to the mines. The two men loaded Radley in a second coffin among the threes that had been on the carriage.

Lawton threatened the rest of the Radley Bunch to let them face the same fate as their leader, but the members of the group threw down their Gunman's Disks to show they gave up willingly.

I felt four hands grab my arms and pulled me up while I was still weak in my body. I watched how two members of Malcolm's group picked up Yusei and led him towards the carriage, but before they could load him in, Malcolm and Barbara wanted to reveal the truth for him. Strangely, the two members of Malcolm's group who held me didn't drag me to the carriage.

"Sorry, stranger, guess we should have told ya", Malcolm mocked lightly. "The plan all along was for my kid-brother Lawton to into town and give it to these Radley Bunch buffoons."

"But in order to do that, we had to get rid of Kalin first", Barbara continued explaining. "Sure, our ace Lawton could have handled that problem by himself, but why risk it? You knew Kalin, so who's better to defeat him? That's why I contacted you."

"Wait, so then… You never even cared about helping Kalin at all?!" Yusei asked in disbelief.

"No, of course not", Barbara replied with laughter in her voice. "I only care about one thing…" She cuddled closer to Malcolm who smiled proudly at her. "…And that's helping my sweet cake here rule this town." Malcolm chuckled and wrapped his arm around Barbara's waist.

Yusei glared at Barbara, and the woman didn't really like it. She stepped up to him, looking down at him as if he was a mutt. "Now, now, Yusei, don't look so upset. After all, we can still be friends." She leant a bit closer to him. "Why, if you're up to it, I could even make you my personal servant for life."

That hit a nerve of mine. Did she mean by making Yusei her loyal butler or…using him in sexual ways, even though she had her sweetheart right here who heard everything? I looked at Malcolm, seeing he wasn't looking upset. That made me arch an eyebrow in confusion.

Yusei was quiet for a second before he hissed out his reply. "No thanks."

That earned him a slap from Barbara. I felt the muscles in my arms stiffen when I saw Barbara hurting Yusei. I was still weak, but I started resisting against the two men's grips.

Lawton pushed aside Barbara so he could say a piece of his mind to Yusei. "Enough talking. Time for Yusei to go bye-bye." He turned to the men who held Yusei. "Take him away, boys!"

I struggled even more in the men's grips before I had enough. I had to let out my fury. "You sick bastards!"

Everyone turned to me, looking a bit surprised that I've spoken up after being quiet the entire time. The men had frozen in their move to load Yusei into a third coffin. I was glaring mainly at Barbara, Malcolm and Lawton.

"Because of a valuable mineral, you all grew greedy and felt like you can get whatever you need, like hiring Duelists by using money as bait, but that's the lowest thing ever", I said with a calm tone, but I had a small growl in my voice. "Dueling over a mine that has more than enough mineral for both your groups to share, but you feel the need to own it all alone with no interference. And sending innocent people to the mines just because they lose…" Now I felt the anger hit the roof. "You're robbing people's lives and freedom for your own selfish needs!"

The result of my speech was a slap. I felt my left cheek burn and sting in pain. I looked up and glared at the person who had hit me. It was Barbara, not really a surprise for me.

"You think you know everything, do you?" Barbara smirked at me, not even looking upset. "I admit, you seem to have a brain than just looks. But you're still very plain compared to me."

Malcolm stepped up to us before he grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. "But don't worry about your looks, gal. Your new duty is to be an entertainer for my men, or rather…" A creepy smirk grew on his lips. "…A reliever."

My eyes widened immediately. I knew exactly what Malcolm meant by that. He wanted to use me as a prostitute and let his men do all kinds of sexual things to me.

"Never…", I hissed angrily.

Malcolm let out a laugh. "Sorry, but you really don't have a choice here."

"Don't involve Estelle with any of your ideas!" Yusei suddenly shouted.

We all turned our attention at Yusei who was glaring at Malcolm.

Barbara let out a mocking laugh again, like a rich spoiled girl. "Don't worry, Yusei. Our men will take good care of her while you'll spend the rest of your life in the mines, like a nice hubby."

"Then let's get to it", Lawton commanded.

Yusei tried struggling against the hands of the men who pulled him up the carriage, but it didn't work. He got thrown down into the third coffin and with that done, the carriage spurted to the mountain with the Dyne mines.

I watched the carriage leave with worried eyes. But luckily I had a secret weapon that just now followed the carriage and no one but I could see that weapon.

*_Keep believing, Yusei…_*, I thought.

Malcolm stepped up to the residents of Crash Town. The people looked a bit scared, but held themselves back. They didn't want to get sent to the mines.

"Now listen up and listen good!" Malcolm announced. "From here and now, the Malcolm Crew runs the show! So if anyone wants to so much as sneeze around here, you got to get our OK! Ain't that right?!"

So Malcolm put on more rules to rob the people's rights? It was disgusting!

None of the residents said anything and returned to their homes. No one of them even threw a worried glance at me as I was pulled into Barbara's flower shop. Barbara guided the two men and me up to her apartment above the shop and led us into a plain bedroom that was probably a guest room.

"Take off her jacket and then hold her down on the bed while I fetch something", Barbara commanded.

The two men opened my jacket and made sure to restrict my arms as they pulled off the jacket while Barbara walked out of the room. Once they got my jacket off of me, they pushed me down on the bed and tried keeping me there. I was still struggling against their hard grips, but I couldn't pull myself out. The men laughed at my silly trying before Barbara returned with some rope.

Barbara and the two men tied my wrists on the bed frame, restricting me. Barbara eyed me as if she had just finished making a masterpiece, but was looking for error parts. "I knew something was missing", the woman said.

Barbara pulled off my boots and gagged me by tying a white cloth around my mouth. I glared at her while trying to move my lips to let out any words, but it was useless.

"Thank you, gentlemen", Barbara thanked the two men. "Now, I'm sure Malcolm has come up with rules about who should have the first time with her, so why don't you two go downstairs and start the party?"

The two men complied and looked pretty excited as they left the guest room.

Barbara turned back to me and smirked proudly. "Don't worry about your new duty. I don't know how far you've come in your relationship with Yusei, but I'm sure you'll be able to handle it just fine." I shook my head, telling her I wasn't Yusei's girlfriend. "Oh? Trying to tell me you weren't in a relationship with him?" She acted as if she was surprised, but turned back to her evil side. "Well, then the first man will be lucky to take your innocence from you, and bad luck for poor little Yusei." I glared at her even harder. "I had a feeling you would be a virgin because you still have that innocent aura around you. I, however, lost my virginity when I was just 13 years old, and I learned something from my first time. Sex makes a woman beautiful, so the more sex the better."

I felt disgusted for hearing Barbara telling me this. Was she trying to psych me or something? Making me feel weaker and realize I couldn't get out of this restriction? Well, she was dead wrong.

Barbara left me all alone in the guestroom and closed the door. The only thing I could do was to stare at the ceiling for a short time. I tried moving my wrists, but they were tied hard with the ropes. Luckily they were made of ordinary material, so I used my powers to burn them down. The ropes turned into ashes and fell on the bed.

I sat up and rubbed my wrists, feeling them being a bit bruised. It didn't make any serious damage, but I needed to come up with a plan. I had to somehow sneak out of the apartment and get to the mines to save Yusei and Kalin. But that was going to be a challenge. The Malcolm Crew was celebrating their victory by having a big party in the town. I could hear the commotion through the thin wood walls. I didn't know when the first Malcolm member would come to have "fun" with me, so I needed to think out something fast.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV**

Kalin, Radley and I were led to the mines and got restriction collars. When one of the Malcolm guys told me those collars could give me quite a shock, I remembered those three inmates that tried to escape yesterday. I glanced down and spotted a loose nail in the guillotines that we've been shackled to before we got here. I could use that to trick with the restriction collars and get them off me and Kalin at the right time. When Radley blamed Kalin for losing, no one had their attention on me, so I knelt down and nonchalantly picked on the guillotines until I got the nail. I hid it immediately in my pocket before the two Malcolm guys led me, Kalin and Radley to the mines.

Men in all shapes and sizes worked there to dig out the Dyne mineral. Most of them looked pretty slim and weak as if they were starved to death while working nonstop. Their clothes were dirty just like the rest of their bodies. When was the last time they got to take a bath?

We also got to witness how a Malcolm guy punished someone who coughed and had to rest by using the same technique that Estelle and I saw last day. The Malcolm guy drew a card from his Deck and placed it on his Gunman's Disk, activating the restriction collar. The poor man got shocked and was forced to work again. I heard Radley whimper in fear behind me.

A Malcolm guy stepped up to us. "Hope you like what you see, 'cause this is gonna be your workstation, gentlemen. It's simple." Another Malcolm guy appeared with three pickaxes. "You pick at the rocks and dig out as much Dyne as possible." The new guy gave us each a pickaxe. "Well, get to it!"

Kalin and I were led to a part while the other Malcolm guy took Radley to another part of the mine. Kalin didn't show any sign to start working.

"Hey, Kalin…", I whispered. "Stay strong…"

Kalin got whipped by the same Malcolm guy who had "welcomed" us. I knelt down to help. "Kalin, stand up!" I told him.

"I'd listen to your friend. Go on! Get to work!" the Malcolm guy with the whip demanded.

Kalin stood up on shaking legs and began hitting the rock wall with his pickaxe. I followed his lead so I wouldn't get punished myself. But I was worried about Kalin. For some reason, he seemed kinda weak. He wasn't the strong Kalin I used to know before he went all crazy back during our teenager lives.

My main worry returned to Estelle. I got so mad when I heard Malcolm's disgusting idea of using Estelle as a sex tool to let his men have their relief on her. I could have tried to do something, but my body had been numb by that ray blast and because of that I couldn't use my powers to help her.

I knew Estelle was a fighter, but I still worried about her. She was a woman, and most of the Malcolm guys had big muscles. No matter how physically strong Estelle was, she couldn't fight against them. I prayed she would be able to escape before anyone could touch her.

"_**Don't worry about her, Signer**_", a child's voice spoke up.

I looked up from my work and felt my eyes widen in surprise.

In front of me floated Galaxy Serpent! But she was in her spirit form.

Kalin must have cast a glance at me, wondering why I had stopped working, because he turned to look at the direction where I was looking. He let out a loud gasp of shock.

"W-What…?" he mumbled in disbelief.

"_**Don't talk!**_" Galaxy Serpent hissed with a warning tone. "_**Just keep working while I do the talking.**_"

"She's right…", I whispered to Kalin, sensing eyes on my back.

Kalin got over the shock and continued working while I followed his lead. "B-But how…?" he whispered.

"_**Yusei can see me because of his Signer powers, but you, Kalin Kessler, can see me because you're a Psychic Duelist.**_"

Kalin looked surprised at the news. "M-Me? A Psychic Duelist…?"

Galaxy Serpent nodded, "_**Back during the Duel, when you activated your first Trap card, didn't the wind seem stronger than how it was supposed to be?**_" Kalin nodded. "_**And how the other effects seemed to be realistic, just like the Duel Monsters? Well, you're carrying a gift that few have, Kalin. And it's not because of your former life as a Dark Signer.**_"

"That explains a few things I noticed during the Duel…", I commented.

An alarm went off which caused the Malcolm guys around in the mine leave their posts to greet the relief group. I took the opportunity to look around in the mine, trying to find a way out. My eyes went by the travellators and scanned the gears until I found a hidden tunnel behind a generator. That could be a way out. But my attention went back to the Duel Spirit.

"What are you doing here, Galaxy Serpent…? Shouldn't you help Estelle…?" I asked.

"_**Estelle called me out before the Duel, since she was worried that both of you would get sent to the mines. She told me to watch over you and help you escape from your prison.**_"

Kalin let out a soft cough. "Well… You can make things easy by wasting your energy and time on rescuing Yusei… I'm staying here…"

"Kalin, you can't be serious…!" I told him.

"I'm dead serious, Yusei…", Kalin replied.

It was then we heard some noise coming from the mine. I turned around and saw a man had collapsed. Two other men tried to help him, but the Malcolm guys dragged the unconscious man away to somewhere.

"Where are they taking him…? He needs help…!" I said, getting a bit irritated to see how the bad guys ignored the man's pain.

"Yes… But I'm afraid help doesn't exist down here…", Kalin said.

"That man's a human being, Kalin! This isn't right!" I couldn't help but growl.

"Maybe…", Kalin shrugged and went back to work. "But it's going to be our lives from now on, so better get used to it."

"No, I don't think I will…", I retorted calmly. "Because I don't plan on staying here. And you should neither…"

Kalin shook his head and pointed at his restriction collar. I replied by picking up the nail I got and looked around to see if someone was looking at us. When the coast was clear, I began tinkering with the restriction collar. Some sparks went off, but they didn't hurt me. I felt a small smirk appear on my lips when I felt the collar lighten up around my neck. Thankfully, my hair and jacket could block the view from the Malcolm guys so they would not notice my unlocked collar.

Kalin looked a bit impressed. "Guess all your work with Runners has really come in handy."

"I saw a tunnel behind the generator…", I told Kalin. "Now, if we can somehow manage to sneak off into it, we might be able to find a way out with Galaxy Serpent's help. What do you think?" Kalin just snorted and kept working. "What's wrong?

"You forget, Yusei; this is the life I wanted for myself", Kalin retorted.

"This is no life, Kalin! It's a living nightmare…!" I retorted strictly.

"_**Estelle would certainly like to give you a piece of her mind to you, Kalin**_", Galaxy Serpent hissed a bit angrily. "_**If you dare to say that **_**fate**_** has brought you here, then she would certainly say that you came to Crash Town by your own **_**choice**_**.**_" Kalin glanced at the Duel Spirit, his eyes telling he was confused. "_**Roman Goodwin told Yusei during their second Shadow Duel how it was fate that Ener-D led to the meltdown, but that's far away from fate. The incident was caused by malfunction, betrayal and manipulation. But… It was fate that brought you, Yusei, Crow and Jack together. Or… Are you denying that part?**_"

"She's right…", I nodded, getting Kalin's attention. "I was close to get manipulated by Roman's words, but Crow told me if Zero Reverse had never happened, then we would've never met and the four of us would've never become the Enforcers with the dreams to protect Satellite and find a way to unite our homeland with New Domino City…"

Kalin stayed quiet this time as his eyes returned to the rocky wall. I guess our words had now a small effect on him. But it still wasn't enough.

There was one thing that was certain.

I would bring him out of this so-called life. He didn't deserve it, no matter how many times he was trying to convince himself he wasn't worth living on this planet.

And as soon as we would get out of here, I would go to town and rescue Estelle.


	63. A Chase in the Mines

**Sorry, guys, but I spotted some errors in the last chapter once again, but I fixed them.**

**And I've got a Christmas story that I posted separately a few days ago, an AU version with my OCs involved. Please read it if you want to. :)**

**It's one day early, but Merry Christmas, everyone!**

**The chapter begins in normal point of view.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 63: A Chase in the Mines**

The celebration of Malcolm's victory was on. And the winner who got the most bull-eyes in a competition got the honor to be Estelle's first "costumer". But because the Malcolm guys had been drinking lots of beer and alcohol, they were all a bit tipsy.

The first Malcolm guy got thirty minutes to play with Estelle while the rest of the men got only fifteen minutes after him. The first guy was a slim man and barely had any muscles. He pulled himself up the stairs to Barbara's dark apartment and went to the guest room. He opened the door and saw Estelle lying on the bed with her eyes closed. To him, she looked like she was sleeping. But Estelle was awake. She was just acting as if she was sleeping, her arms lying by the bed frame. He didn't even see Estelle's restriction had been burned down.

The Malcolm guy hiccupped while he closed the door behind him and removed the red scarf. "Well… What an honor… Hiccup!" He walked over to the bed and climbed onto it, hovering above Estelle. "Hiccup! Your new life…Hiccup!...begins now…"

Estelle suddenly opened her eyes and kneed the guy on his stomach with both her knees. The Malcolm guy let out a cough before Estelle moved and karate chopped the man by the back of his neck, hitting a pressure point that made him lose consciousness. The guy collapsed onto Estelle who moved off the bed and laid down the man. She removed the gag and took a deep breath of air.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

"Sorry, but I don't serve sleeping costumers", I commented sarcastically.

I put on my boots and jacket, checking my pocket where I had my Deck, before I sneaked out of the guest room. I bent down and tiptoed across the apartment before I reached the windows. I peeked out carefully and saw the whole ruckus. Tables were placed by the crossroad where the Malcolm Crew had their drinks. There were a few who drove their Duel Runners around, and there were others who shot ray blasts on targets. They were surely making loud noises for the town residents. It was late night and I was certain the residents wanted to sleep, but they didn't dare to tell the Malcolm Crew to quiet down.

I grunted through my teeth, seeing I barely had a chance to get out without getting caught. I needed to find an alternative way. I kept my bending pose as I looked around in the apartment. I needed to find a secret way out of here.

I turned my eyes up and spotted something that I didn't expect. A trapdoor on the ceiling. Why in the world was a trapdoor on the ceiling? It would explain things if you lived by the coast that often had floods, but houses with doors on the ceiling in the middle of a desert?

Well, it was a better way out of here than using the front door.

I looked around to try finding a ladder, but I didn't find one. Time was running and I needed to get out fast.

I slightly hated my idea, but I had to do it. I just hoped no one would notice the faint glow when my powers would activate. I concentrated my bond with Jack's Mark and borrowed some of his power. I was sure Jack was right now wondering what was happening when he felt his Mark burn.

The Wings Mark on my Star Mark glowed lightly and the energy floated to my back. I looked over my shoulder to see a pair of wings made of crimson energy. They didn't glow so brightly, so it seemed okay.

I jumped up and let the wings flap as I struggled with the trapdoor. I was able to open it and climb up to the roof. I disconnected the bond with Jack's Mark, making the energy wings disappear.

I went down on my stomach and crawled along the roof towards the direction where the mountain was. I felt myself being a ninja in the way I crawled on the roof. It reminded me of a cartoon I started liking back in my dimension before I came here; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

I looked around when I reached the edge. There was no one nearby who could see me, so I jumped down from the roof and landed in a crouch. I ran immediately towards the mountain as fast as I could.

I was halfway across the desert when I spotted something up ahead. It was Yusei's Duel Runner and two children were pulling it towards the mountain. I rushed over to them, calling for them.

"Hey! You two!"

The children jumped by my loud voice and turned around. They looked scared for a second, fearing they got caught, but when they saw me their faces relaxed and showed huge relief.

"It's the other guy's girlfriend!" the little boy exclaimed.

I sweat dropped at the statement as I made it to the children. "I'm not Yusei's girlfriend."

"But…", the girl mumbled in disbelief. "Weren't you being in hold by the Malcolm Crew?"

"I was, but I managed to escape", I replied. "But enough of me. Where are you going with Yusei's Duel Runner?"

"We're bringing it to the mine so we can save him and Kalin", the girl explained.

"And also our dad", the boy added.

"Then I'm going with you", I told them. "By the way, are you possibly West and Nico?" The children looked at me with surprised eyes. "I heard about you from Beatrix."

"Trixie? She's like our big sister", the boy West said.

"If you know Trixie, then we can really trust you", the girl Nico nodded.

I smiled lightly. "Then let's get to it." I walked to the front of Yusei's Duel Runner and took over Nico's place. "We're going to save your town from this prison, and that's a promise."

"Okay!" West nodded.

Nico went to the back of the Duel Runner and pushed it forward. "We have several neutrals in town and I'm sure Trixie and Grandpa are forming the group right now!"

"Grandpa?" I asked. "You mean Klaus?"

"Yep!" West nodded with a smile. "We've always seen him as our grandfather since we never met our own grandfathers."

"You've got a strong bond", I told the children. "Keep it as strong as now in the future."

With that said, we pushed the Duel Runner towards the mountain with the Dyne mine.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV**

I was able to sneak out from the mine with Kalin without our restriction collars, but I had to knock him out first since he had refused to come with me. I dragged him through the dark tunnel while Galaxy Serpent's spirit materialized and made her body glow in a gentle light, guiding us out.

I couldn't help but smile at the freedom and the fresh air. "Finally! We're free!"

Kalin woke up and looked surprised to see we were out before he grabbed my jacket in anger. "I told you I don't want to be free!"

"Let go!" I told him, trying to push him off me.

"_**Gentlemen, don't struggle here!**_" Galaxy Serpent chirped.

That was easier said than done. Since we stood at the edge of the cliff, we soon rolled down on it thanks to the struggle, but we landed safely…and not on the right place.

The small area was like a graveyard with Gunman's Disks tied onto several poles.

"What in the world? Where are we?" Kalin wondered.

"This place…", I mumbled as I looked around. "I've been here before. When Estelle and I first arrived to this town, some men were trying to make a run-for-it. Trying to escape, only… They were caught."

Galaxy Serpent flew next to me as Kalin took a few steps forward to take a closer look at the graveyard. "So, in some way, these Duel Disks serves as a memory to their past Dueling days…"

"And to the freedom they lost!" I added quickly with a serious tone. "But why do you care anyway, Kalin?"

"Don't you see, Yusei?" Kalin turned to me with a lost glance. "It's _my_ fault these men lost their freedom because I beat them!" His voice started shaking. "Duel after Duel, I sent them all to this mountain…" He fell down on his knees and started crying.

I had never witnessed once how Kalin broke down like this. "Kalin…"

Galaxy Serpent turned around and let out a happy noise. "_**She's here!**_" She flew up. "_**Mistress!**_"

Wait… Mistress?

I turned around and looked up, seeing two children rolling my Duel Runner up the mountain, but there was one person who I recognized immediately.

Estelle!

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

The children and I made it to the mountain, but we had to pull the Duel Runner up which was a bit difficult since the path was steep. I had earlier given them the pendant that Yusei and I got after that man had thrown it. Apparently, that man had been their father so the pendant belonged to them.

The plan was for me to somehow sneak in and hide in the shadows while I would activate my Trap card Dragon's Rage to make a real dragon cry in the mines to scare the people. While they would be occupied by the dragon cry, I would run in and pull Yusei and Kalin out from the mine. And the last part was for me to summon out a bigger Duel Monster so the children and I could ride on it while Yusei and Kalin would drive away with Yusei's Duel Runner.

But we stopped when Galaxy Serpent flew up to me. She was in her real form and not in spirit form. Nico and West were surprised to see how it was true that I could summon real Duel Monsters without using a Duel Disk.

"_**Mistress!**_" Galaxy Serpent smiled.

"Galaxy Serpent!" I returned the smile. "If you're out here, then that must mean-"

"Is that you, West, Nico?!" Kalin's voice called.

We looked down and saw Yusei and Kalin run up to us. The two young adults looked surprised to see us out here.

"It's Kalin!" West exclaimed in joy.

"And Yusei!" Nico added.

I noticed how Yusei's eyes were on me. Once he and Kalin were up to us, he grabbed my arms and made me look at him. His eyes shone with concern.

"How were you able to get out from there, Estelle?" he asked.

"I used my powers to burn down the restriction and knocked out the first man who came to have some…fun with me", I replied, feeling disturbed by the thought.

"But he didn't do anything to you, right?" Yusei asked, now with a worried voice.

I shook my head. "I knocked him out before he could touch me. Then I made it out through a trapdoor on the roof and sneaked out from the town."

Yusei let out a soft sigh through his mouth before he did something I didn't expect. He let go of my arms and embraced me so that my chin rested on his left shoulder. I blushed hard while I felt my heart beat faster by each second. One of Yusei's arms was resting around my waist while the other one was caressing my hair. I heard Nico giggle at us while West's voice sounded a bit confused. Kalin remained silent with Galaxy Serpent.

I felt Yusei's breath on my ear as he whispered in my ear, his lips barely touching my skin. "I'm so relieved to see you're okay…"

While I would enjoy the moment, we had to move on and save the others and stop the nonsense of which group was owning the mine. Who knew when the Malcolm Crew would notice Yusei's Duel Runner was missing and head over here?

I lifted my head from Yusei's shoulder and pushed away from him. "Yusei, save the celebration for later. We have to save Crash Town from this torture together…" I turned around to face Kalin. "…and that includes you too, Kalin."

Yusei stepped up to me, looking serious. "She's right. I'm not leaving. Not without saving the others."

"So then what?" Kalin asked with a harsh voice. "You're going to set them free? It's not that easy!"

"I know that it won't be easy", Yusei admitted. "But still, I know I can remove their restriction collars. And at least that's a start."

"A start? You'll need more than that", Kalin retorted.

"I know that I will! But it's hopeless in those mines, so I'll just have to make up the rest as I go!" Yusei said with his serious voice. "After all, if we don't help them, who will? What do you say, Kalin? Are you in or out?!"

Kalin's face showed no emotions that it was a bit scary. "Yusei… You have no idea what you're getting yourself into…"

"Why won't you believe in yourself, Kalin?" I asked. "Don't you see you're still so strong mentally? Why did you never end your life while you had the chance? Because deep inside you are still wishing to find a reason to exist! And that is true strength, whether you admit it or not!"

Kalin looked at me with widen eyes. I guess he had never expected hearing someone tell him what I just did.

Galaxy Serpent let out a shriek, making up all turn to her. "_**Someone is approaching!**_"

We heard the roars of Duel Runners while the lights from said vehicles approached us. It was Lawton and two lackeys!

"Kalin! Estelle! The kids!" Yusei told us.

"Right!" Kalin nodded. "This way, you three!"

Kalin, Nico and West ran ahead while I stayed behind to say something to Yusei. "Be careful."

"I will", Yusei nodded.

I turned to Galaxy Serpent. "Galaxy, you're going with him."

"_**Yes, mistress!**_"

"Estelle!" Kalin called.

I turned around and ran to the trio before we rushed together inside the mountain while Yusei and Galaxy Serpent went in another direction.

The cave was big enough for the two Malcolm lackeys to drive after us with their Duel Runners. While I was running, I pulled out my Deck to see if there were any Spell or Trap cards I could use against the bad guys. I knew I had my special powers too, but I didn't want to use them. It was better if I kept those powers hidden from others.

"I'm sorry about all of this, Kalin!" Nico said.

"Sorry?" Kalin sounded very surprised.

"Yes, it's our fault they found us!" Nico explained.

"It's okay! You just wanted to free your dad!" Kalin told her. "It's not right what happened to him. Now, run, 'cause if these goons catch us we'll never get to Duel again!"

I looked over my shoulder to see the two goons coming closer. If they drove a bit faster, then they would certainly hit us and we would be…

No. I refused to let that happen.

I pulled out a card from my Deck and held it up. "Mystical Space Typhoon!"

The Spell card started glowing as a strong wind blew around us, but it didn't affect my group. The winds blew past us and slowed down the Malcolm guys. It would give us some time and it seemed luck was on our side.

Up ahead stood an empty cart that was attached on rails that were connected to the mine. "Quick! Get in the cart!" Kalin told us.

We ran up to the cart and got into it, except Kalin. He pushed it so it could move and jumped into it just as the Malcolm goons appeared on the entrance of the mine. We had several meters distance, but the goons could catch up to us anytime. I could try using Mystical Space Typhoon, but I had a feeling the Malcolm guys would be ready for it.

The trip with the cart was like a rollercoaster. We all had to grab onto the cart so we wouldn't get thrown out whenever our ride jumped. Luckily we made it through the rough part, but now came the tough part. The Malcolm guys' Duel Runners had some kind of chainsaws installed and they pulled them out so they could try slicing our cart.

"I'll slice that cart in half!" the Malcolm guy on the front shouted.

"You just try it!" West retorted and started throwing the stones that were on the bottom of the cart at the guys.

Nico followed her little brother's lead. "Yes! Take that!"

Sadly they didn't have the best aim and just made the Malcolm goons even angrier. "You'll pay for that!"

The chainsaws came closer to the cart, ready to slice our ride, when West threw a bigger stone. "I don't think so, you jerk!"

The stone hit the Malcolm guy on his head which made him lose slight control and nearly drove into his partner behind him.

"Got him!" West cheered joyfully.

"Wow, West! You're pretty tough for just a kid", Kalin said with a slight impressed voice.

"I'm tough from watching you, Kalin", West confessed. "You taught me a lot about how to deal with trouble."

I noticed how Kalin got surprised to hear that.

"Yeah, you taught us both a lot", Nico added.

"I don't understand…", Kalin said in disbelief. "How have I taught you anything? You hardly know me!"

"Wrong!" West retorted. "We know all that we need to know! We know that you never give up in a Duel and that no matter what you always keep fighting!" Kalin was very flabbergasted. "And seeing you do that, it made me believe that I could do it as well, Kalin. Keep fighting for my father, no matter how bad things look. You taught me if you keep fighting you can't lose! So now… I keep fighting for everything I believe in. And, Kalin, I believe in you!"

"You shouldn't", Kalin denied. "I've done some terrible things in the past… Things that I'm not proud of…Things that I need to pay for…"

"Kalin!" I exclaimed angrily, getting the trio's attention. "Has someone told you to pay back for what you did? No. Has someone told you to give up on your life because of your crimes? No. If so, then stop hanging yourself on what you did in the past!"

I had enough of keep hearing from Kalin how he deserved to get punished for what he did in the past, long before the Dark Signers. Sure, he had done terrible things, but that was now over. It was time to move on and see the bright side of life.

"But, Estelle-", Kalin began, only to get interrupted.

"Haven't you noticed something about yourself, Kalin?" I asked. "Why are you still here, standing and breathing? Because there's a spark within you that wants you to stay alive. _You_ want to stay alive, but you don't know how you can live on because you don't have any motivation or a life source. Well, you do have a motivation now." I turned my eyes on West and Nico. "These two." Kalin followed my glance down to the children. "You're a hero in their eyes and they look up to you and respect you. Don't let them down because of something you did in the past. That's all forgotten now. It's time to move on."

"She talks like Grandpa…", West mumbled in the background.

Kalin was silent, probably thinking about what I just said, before he looked up at the tunnel up ahead. I followed his glance and saw there were a curve coming and a sharp one too. If we kept rolling in the speed we had, then we would certainly crash.

The Malcolm guys shouted they would get us this time, but Kalin seemed to have come up with an idea. He grabbed a lever that was the brake and pulled it. The wheels began sparkling as the cart slowed down.

"What are you doing, Kalin?! If we slow down, then they're gonna catch us!" West shouted.

Kalin pulled on the lever as hard as he could. By the curve, the cart tilted to the left side, so we had to hold on. But we were able to trick the Malcolm goons that ended up driving straight into the wall while we continued rolling on the rails.

"Alright!" West cheered.

"That's how you take a turn!" Nico smiled.

I turned to Kalin with a soft smile. "Now that's more like it, Kalin."

Kalin was about to say something when West pointed at something up ahead. "Look there!" the boy shouted.

I saw a cave up ahead, and there was something round on the ground where the rails were connected to.

"What is that thing?" Kalin wondered.

The cart rolled up to the cave and stopped when it touched the circular thing on the ground. If I recalled correctly, it was some kind of a machine that was for carts to dump junks on a slide.

The machine started moving, taking us along, until the cart stopped by the slide and the platform below the cart moved up to tip us out of the cart. The four of us rolled down the slide until we landed on a pile of boulders. The air was filled with dust so we had to fan it away while coughing, but we got a bad welcome from Malcolm goons.

"Hey!" one of the goons shouted. "Don't try anything or else!" They both moved up their arms with Gunman's Disks, but then they noticed something was missing on Kalin. "He took off his collar!"

"And that woman… She was supposed to be in town!" the other goon said in surprise when his eyes landed on me.

The Malcolm guys pulled out shotguns and pointed them at us. "Get your hands up or get shock-blasted!" the first goon told us.

One by one, we all got up with our hands up, showing we gave in. I turned my eyes on the sight behind the goons and saw more men working in a mine.

"Another mine…?" I heard Kalin mumble next to me.

We were led down from the container where we had landed on with the two Malcolm goons on the front and on the back.

"Let's go, you four! Keep it movin'! Keep it movin'!" the second Malcolm guy told us strictly.

"Kalin…", Nico whispered behind me.

"What'd we do…?" West asked lowly.

"Just be ready for my signal…", Kalin replied. "When I give it, you three find another mine cart and get out of here…!"

"But what about you…?" Nico asked.

"I'll stay with him…", I told them, causing Kalin to look at me with surprised eyes over his shoulder. "We're on this together, Kalin, whether you like it or not…"

"But… Yusei wouldn't like that…", Kalin tried to come up with an excuse.

"This is my decision, Kalin…", I retorted. "And before you ask; Yusei and I are _not_ together…"

Kalin's eyes widened by the info. "I thought you were… I had never seen Yusei being so worried for a girl before…" He grew quiet for a second. "Ready…?"

I nodded, "Yes…"

Kalin nodded before he turned into serious mode. "It's go-time!" He attacked the Malcolm goon on the front and grabbed the shotgun. "RUN!"

The Malcolm goon on the back ran up to shoot Kalin, but I jumped in and gave him an uppercut before I grabbed his shotgun. "Go, children!" I told them.

Several Malcolm lackeys ran towards us, but we shoot warning ray blasts at them. They were all hit, so we ran after Nico and West who stopped by a mine cart looking at something.

"Hurry up, you two! Get in the cart!" Kalin told them. "What's the hold-up?"

"Over there…", West said.

We looked at the crowd of workers where I spotted a familiar man among them. He looked just like the man who had the pendant before.

"It's him!" Nico said with tears in her eyes.

The man who had a sad face looked up and his eyes widened a bit in shock. "Is that you, children?"

"I can't believe it…", West said in a soft voice.

"Father!" Nico exclaimed.

The children ran to their father who welcomed them with open arms.

"It's fate…", Kalin mumbled. "It led us right to him…"

I groaned and couldn't help but rub my forehead. "Kalin… This is not fate-"

Ray blasts shot past us which made us hide quickly. More Malcolm goons had arrived to their fallen comrades' aid. We shot back, but the goons avoided them behind some oil barrels.

"Come on, you two! You need to run!" Kalin told the children.

"How about our dad?" West wondered.

"Forget me. Just go", the children's father told them.

"But we just found you! We can't leave!" West retorted.

"Then he's going with us!" I told them as I shot back at the Malcolm goons.

"Right!" Kalin nodded. "Everyone, follow me!" He dodged for a shoot and replied with a shoot of his own.

Kalin and I distracted the Malcolm guys as the children and their father got into the cart. They were all in it when the cartridges of our guns were dried out, so we dropped the weapons. I jumped into the cart while Kalin pushed it so it could roll. Once it was rolling on properly, he jumped into the cart that barely had any space now with five people.

I couldn't help but feel guilty for leaving the other prisoners behind. But I knew we were going to save them all. They just had to endure the suffering a little more before we could save them from Malcolm's claws.

And right now, we had a "chasing-race" to think about.


	64. There's Still Light

**Happy New Year, everyone!**

**First of all, I'd like to thank you all for reading, favoring and following my fanfic. It keeps me motivated to see how you're enjoying "The Crimson Star Priestess".**

**This fanfic will have its second anniversary next month, and I'm planning to do something special to celebrate it. You'll have to wait and see what that surprise will be.**

**In the meantime, enjoy the new chapter!**

**Special thanks to ****grapejuice101**** who gave me ideas to add in this chapter! Thank you, my friend! :)**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 64: There's Still Light**

We were once again heading for a rollercoaster trip, but we had two Duel Runners driving after us. Both of them had side carts where two people sat in.

"Here they come…", West said worriedly, holding onto his father.

"Bunch of them too!" Kalin added.

The children's father held Nico and West close to him. "I missed you…" The family shared a hug, happy smiles and tears of joy being shared as well.

They made things more comfortable by sitting down on the cart and cuddle for a bit. My eyes softened by the sight, seeing them smiling. Who knew for how long West and Nico's father had been in the mines.

"You're doing great", Kalin told them. "Just stay down."

"Come on, boys!" one of the Malcolm goons shouted, getting our attention. "We gotta take this drift-rat down and haul him back! If they escape the mountain, Mr. Malcolm will have our heads!"

The family stood up after they had heard the threat. "Leave us alone, you jerks!" West shouted.

"Get down, son!" the father told him.

Kalin pulled the lever for the brake and slowed down the cart, making the first Duel Runner driving up to us faster.

"Round 'em up, boys!" one of the Malcolm goons smirked.

"You want a taste of the Kalin Special?!" Kalin growled.

Before the Malcolm guys could touch the cart, Kalin punched the driver and knocked him off the Duel Runner.

"Round that up", Kalin smirked proudly.

"1-0 to us", I commented with a small smile.

But the Malcolm goon who sat in the side cart of the other Duel Runner jumped over to the empty seat and took control of the Duel Runner.

I suddenly remembered about the restriction collar on the father's neck. If the goons noticed it, then they would hurt him.

"Sir!" I said, getting the man's attention. "Let me try to get the collar off you."

"Okay…", the man nodded.

I made a move with my hand to tell him to sit down, hiding from the Malcolm goons, and he understood signal. Once we both sat down, with Kalin, West and Nico still standing, the children watching us, I began examining the collar. It was pretty tight and shut and probably only Yusei would be able to get it off. But… I got an idea.

I had no other choice but to use my real powers now. I concentrated on my Star Mark and summoned a small knife with a crimson leather handle. The father looked surprised to see how I had just summoned a weapon out in the air.

"Hold still", I told him.

The father nodded and turned his neck where the collar was locked. I started picking on it with the knife, trying to pry it open. I was able to dig the blade of the knife in the collar and pull it in the tiny space until the collar loosened.

The collar was off!

"Collar him!" I heard a Malcolm goon shout.

I stood up and held the collar, getting the bad guys' attention. "Sorry, gentlemen, but this collar is out of order." With that said, I threw the collar at the Malcolm guy who drove his Duel Runner alone. It barely did anything to him since he was protected by his helmet.

The father took in a deep breath, massaging his neck. "Finally… The collar is off."

"Yay!" the children cheered joyfully.

"That was awesome!" West said in amazement.

"Yeah! Are you a sorceress, Estelle?" Nico asked me.

I shook my head with a small smile on my lips. "No. But I've got powers that I need you to stay quiet about."

"Sure!" the children nodded.

"Miss… You have my gratitude", the father smiled lightly.

"No need to thank me, sir", I shook my head. "But… There's something I've been wondering. How did you end up here in the mines?"

"Because of people like me…", I heard Kalin mumble sadly behind me.

The father shook his head. "No. I'm not here because of you."

The father introduced himself as Jordan before he began telling us why he and his children came to Crash Town. Jordan claimed whatever he used to do wasn't right, so he traveled to Crash Town with West and Nico and began Dueling for the Radley Bunch. And he used to win several times, making his children proud of him and proving himself that he could do things that he didn't know he could do, until…the day he was defeated. And the defeat gave him a one-way ticket to the mines, leaving his children behind in Klaus's care.

"I knew the deal when I signed up", Jordan said. "I was a desperate man, Kalin. A desperate man who felt like he had nothing to lose. In fact, part of me thinks I wanted to end up down here." That story reminded me of Kalin's current self.

"But what about your kids?" Kalin asked, looking a bit surprised himself.

Jordan cast a soft glance at Nico and West. "A man can get so blinded by self-pity he forgets that he's got something worth living for. I think a lot of men who come here are like that. They've lost their will to fight on. And they come here ready to lose." He turned to Kalin with a serious glance. "But not you. You still got some fighting in you. You're still strong."

"You took the words out of my mouth", I told Jordan. "I told Kalin the same thing before we ended up getting chased by Lawton's lackeys." I turned to Kalin. "Even in the deepest darkness or ocean, you can always find the light."

Jordan nodded with a smile. "Exactly."

"Estelle talks sometimes like Grandpa, Dad", West said. "Saying things I don't understand."

"That's wisdom, son", Jordan told him. "Wisdom is a human being's biggest treasure in life. You'll understand when you get older." He turned his eyes on Nico. "And that includes you, Nico."

Nico nodded with a smile. "Yes, Dad."

**XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV**

The Turbo Duel with Lawton was a pretty tough one. I was often close to lose, but I could still save my Life Points with my combos. Right now, I was barely holding on with 400 Life Points while Lawton had his Big Cannon Ogre out, and it was now my turn.

But before I could draw my next card, I heard Lawton talk out loud about something else beside the Turbo Duel.

"You know, my gut told me as soon as I noticed your Duel Runner was missing that something was up with your girl", Lawton began. "So I ran up to my wife's apartment to find that drunk idiot who was supposed to be treated by your plain woman, but she had somehow managed to sneak out."

Was he talking about Estelle? What did she have to do with this?

…Wait a minute! Did he just say "his wife"? This man was married?

"I swear, as soon as I finish you and find the kids, Kalin and Estelle, I'm gonna make them regret to ever help you and your friend", Lawton growled before a weird smirk grew on his lips. "And I'll make sure to give Estelle some _special_ attention by making her cry out in pain as I take her in the bed."

That snapped my patience. No one, and no one, would dare to touch or hurt Estelle.

"You will _NOT_ touch her!" I shouted angrily. "Not as long as I'm here to protect her!"

Galaxy Serpent growled at Lawton with hatred shining in her eyes.

Lawton laughed nonchalantely. "Oh, we'll sure see about that after the Duel, Yusei. Can you not only save yourself but your friends and girlfriend too? Let's find out."

I held back a growl myself, but collected my thoughts and concentrated on the Turbo Duel. I just hoped Estelle, Kalin and the children were okay and safe.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

The ride ended up being a bit too rough, so Kalin and I pulled on the lever together to slow down, not wanting to get thrown out from the cart or get thrown off the rails. But we had the Malcolm goons still after us, though we had gained lots of distance.

"Man! These guys don't know when to quit!" Kalin muttered.

I looked up ahead and spotted the rails got split up into two ways by a fork, one leading into one tunnel. And there was a lever up ahead where you could switch the rails.

Jordan stood behind Kalin. "I worked here. If we break right at the fork up ahead, we can get to the outside!"

"Are you sure?" Kalin asked.

I looked back to see the Malcolm duo coming closer. "We don't have much choice. We have to do something."

"Can't you use your magic again, Estelle?" West wondered.

"I'd rather keep a low profile with that, West", I replied.

I noticed how the Malcolm goon in the side cart held something in his hand and did something with it. Maybe a device of some sorts. In the next second, I heard a click noise up ahead. I turned around and saw the switch move so the rails led to the left!

"They diverted the track!" Kalin exclaimed in surprise. "Know where the left one goes?!"

"Nowhere where we wanna be…", Jordan replied nervously.

Our cart rolled to the left and we ended up into a massive cavern. The rails went like a spiral by the rocky walls and down to the supposed endless pit. The Malcolm goons were still after us, but that was the least of our problems.

We spotted a few levels below how the track was broken by an entrance that could lead us out from here. Luckily the entrance was before the broken track.

"Look! The track is broken down there!" West pointed.

"No…!" Kalin growled before he spotted a switch right next to the track. "If only we could change the track at that junction…!"

I pulled out my Deck to pick out the card I needed when I saw Jordan picking up a rock in the cart and put it inside his overall. "Jordan, sir…?" I didn't like the looks in his eyes.

Jordan pushed aside Kalin, getting the others' attention. "Kalin, listen. No matter what happens, I beg of you… Make sure my kids get out of here."

We all knew what he was going to do. Jordan would jump down from the cart and hopefully land by the switch so he could change the track.

"What are you talking about?!" Kalin exclaimed in shock.

"That's too risky!" I told him. "Let me handle this-"

Jordan ignored me and turned to his children. "You kids listen to me. Kalin and Estelle are going to get you outta here. You do what they say."

The children looked even more scared now than a few seconds ago.

"Stop talking like that!" Kalin told Jordan. "We are all gonna get out of here together!"

"Well, right now, all that matters is you getting my kids out!" Jordan retorted a bit aggressively, as in trying to say his words were final. "There's no other way!"

"Don't do it!" West begged as Jordan prepared to jump at the right time.

"Daddy, please!" Nico shrieked.

Jordan ignored his children and jumped out. We watched how he fell at the right direction and actually grabbed the lever of the switch below right on time. We all caught our breaths in relief. I actually felt my heart stop beating when Jordan had jumped out.

"He made it…", West's voice shook for a second.

"Daddy…", Nico whimpered.

But who knew for how long he could hold on. He could try to climb up to the track and to safety.

Jordan ignored his own safety and used the rock he had picked up to smash something on the switch. Probably the control system. Once the control system was out of order, the father used all his strength to push the lever so the rails switched to the entrance.

He still held onto the lever and used it as aid to get onto the track properly without risking to fall down into the endless pit.

Nico and West began cheering for seeing their father managing to switch the track.

"Now we just have to slow down so we can pick him up", Kalin said.

I nodded, but turned my eyes at the Malcolm duo that was still chasing us. "But we still have the rats behind us."

"Keep going! Don't slow down! Get outta here!" Jordan shouted.

"You're coming with us, whether you like it or not!" I told him before I turned to Kalin. "Kalin, you know the drill."

"Right!" Kalin nodded, grabbing the lever of the cart to be ready.

I turned around and faced the Malcolm goons. We had around more than 200 meter distance, so what I would do next wouldn't affect us or the cavern. I pulled out my Deck and searched through it to get two cards.

The cart began slowing down which was my signal. I held the two cards in my left hand while I put away the Deck with my right hand. Once the Deck was secured, I held up the two cards, showing they were one Trap card and one Monster card.

"Arkbrave Dragon, use Breakthrough Skill to break the track!" I commanded.

The Monster card began glowing in a golden color at the same time with my purple-glowing Trap card. Arkbrave Dragon's spirit flew out and entered a purple spiral that came out from the Trap card. The dragon roared before it flew ahead and flew through the track, making a big hole in it.

The Malcolm goons yelled out in panic and the driver pulled on the brakes. The Duel Runner's wheels screamed until the vehicle stopped just before the broken track. Arkbrave Dragon roared straight on their faces before its spirit returned to its card.

Both cards stopped glowing and it was then I realized the cart wasn't moving. I turned around and saw Kalin helping Jordan getting into the cart. West and Nico literally jumped onto their father and cried out their tears for almost losing their father. Kalin and I shared a smile as the long-haired man moved the lever so the wheels could roll on freely again, leaving behind a pair of angry and fumy Malcolm goons.

"Great move you did, Estelle", Kalin praised me.

I nodded, "Thanks." But I grew worried about Yusei. "I hope Yusei is okay too…"

Kalin's face turned into a concerned one. "Lawton must be a strong Duelist… But I'm sure Yusei can defeat him."

I wasn't so convinced, but I nodded in agreement, still feeling worried.

We rolled into a cave that was empty. There were no people there, but it was certainly part of the mine. Once our cart stopped moving, we got out of it.

"We need to find a Duel Runner…", Kalin mumbled.

"Let's search", I told them. "I'll stay guard if Malcolm guys come here."

"Right", Kalin nodded.

I stood by an entrance that had rails leading, so I assumed they would come from that direction. I had to stay guard for a few minutes before I heard West's voice shouting.

"I found two Duel Runners!"

I turned around and ran up to the group, and indeed. There were two Duel Runners and both of them had side carts.

"Perfect", Kalin smiled softly.

"I can drive one of them", Jordan told us.

"Okay", Kalin nodded. "West, Nico, you go with your father." He turned to me. "Estelle, you're with me."

I nodded, "Okay."

Jordan got on the driver seat with Nico sitting behind him with her arms wrapped around his waist while West sat in the side cart. Kalin sat on the driver seat on the other Duel Runner and I could sit comfortably in the side cart.

The men turned on the Duel Runners and drove into the biggest hole. I thought it would lead the way out, but we headed probably deeper into the mountain.

We drove on until we heard loud voices up ahead. One of them sounded like Yusei's!

"Kalin!" I exclaimed.

Kalin nodded, "I heard that too! Follow me!"

"Lead the way, Kalin!" Jordan replied.

Kalin pushed on and drove the Duel Runner faster, but Jordan was able to keep up. We drove out from the cave and entered a bigger one, and we found both Yusei and Lawton engaging in a Turbo Duel. Galaxy Serpent flew next to Yusei, but looked towards us.

"Anybody mind if we cut in?" Kalin asked sarcastically, getting the two Duelists' attention.

"Kalin?! Estelle?!" Yusei exclaimed in surprise.

"_**Mistress!**_" Galaxy Serpent flew up to me.

The Duel Monster turned into a soft light and flew towards me. The light went into my pocket where I had my Deck, returning to the card that belonged to Galaxy Serpent.

"Good job, Galaxy", I praised her. "I'll take it over from here."

"You three, keep driving!" Kalin told the family behind us. "Estelle, hang on tight!"

I held onto the side cart before Kalin drove the Duel Runner so it jumped from the path where we came from and smashed into Lawton's Duel Runner. Lawton got pushed against the rocky wall while Kalin made a nice landing with the Duel Runner. I felt a bit shaken by the impact just now.

"Next time, do such reckless moves without me, thank you!" I glared lightly at Kalin, being a bit sarcastic.

"I'll keep that in mind", Kalin replied sarcastically.

Jordan shifted his Duel Runner so he could drive down to us. We followed Yusei who had a new Synchro Monster out and caught up to him.

"Kalin! Estelle! You made it!" Yusei exclaimed in relief.

The two men shared a smile before we noticed light up ahead. "There's the exit!" Yusei shouted. "Let's go!"

I heard the loud noise of Lawton's Duel Runner and turned around in the side cart. Lawton was catching up to us with a weird ogre with a giant cannon on its back, and he did not look happy.

"You punks!" Lawton spat furiously. "Nobody escapes this mountain!"

My eyes widened when Lawton's Duel Runner began shifting, becoming taller.

"Heads up, guys!" Yusei warned us.

Lawton drove past us and literally above us before he made his Duel Runner to shrink down into its original size, but now the drill back was pointing at us! What could it do to us? I didn't want to think about it.

"I activate Explosive Wall!" Lawton announced, still in the game. "You want to get out of here? Let me help you." He looked at us and held up four dynamites wrapped together with a timer. "This way, you can really go out with a bang!"

Lawton set the timer of the dynamite and threw it towards us!

"Look out!" Yusei shouted.

The dynamites landed in front of us, but we couldn't drive past them before they set off. The explosion was massive. It must have caused rocks to fly around us as one hit me straight on the right side of my forehead as I felt myself flying. The impact was so hard it made me lose consciousness.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Everyone, including Lawton who miraculously held onto his Duel Runner and the four Duel Runners, were flying in the air as they got thrown out from the mountain. The Duel Monsters vanished since the Turbo Duel came to a stop.

"Dad! Kalin!" Nico screamed.

Jordan and Kalin turned their heads at the girl who cried their names and saw her reach out a hand towards them. West was falling beside his sister, but he had fainted by the explosion.

Kalin acted faster and tried reaching out his hand to grab Nico. "Grab my hand!"

But the wind and altitude decided to go against them and separated the children and Estelle from Yusei, including his Duel Runner, Kalin and Jordan who fell into a ravine along with something shiny that followed them.

Nico, West and Estelle crash-landed on the ground next to the ravine and they all hit their heads and lost consciousness. The children were fine, but Estelle was in worse shape because of the bleeding wound she had on her forehead. For some strange reason, her powers didn't activate to heal her injuries.

None of the trio noticed Lawton walking up to them with a satisfying smirk. His right arm hurt a bit from the crash-landing himself, but he was still up and about.

Lawton chuckled evilly at the sight before he cast a glance down in the ravine where the young adults and the father had fallen down into. "Those two meddling blockheads are as good as gone… Including the kids' father."

Lawton walked up to the trio and decided to take them down to Crash Town. He noticed something weird on Estelle and turned her around since she had landed on her stomach. His eyes widened lightly when he spotted the bleeding wound on her forehead, but he collected himself and just smirked deviously.

"Looks like we have to patch you up…", Lawton trailed a thumb from the blood that was running down on Estelle's right cheek and made a track of the blood down to the woman's lips, painting them a bit red. "Little doll."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Sometime later, after Lawton had dragged West, Nico and Estelle back to Crash Town, Yusei, Kalin and Jordan finally woke up after falling down into the ravine. Their bodies were sore and aching, but they could thankfully still move without any problems.

They all got up on their four libs since they had also fallen down on their stomachs.

"I'm no good to anyone…", Kalin whimpered sadly, getting Yusei and Jordan's attention. "I break everything I touch… I couldn't save Nico and West… Not even Estelle… I let everyone down…" His body was shaking as he let tears run down his cheeks, not feeling ashamed.

"Don't be so hard on yourself", Yusei told him as he removed his helmet.

Jordan placed a hand on Kalin's right shoulder. "You did everything you could for my children." He suddenly noticed something shiny two meters from them on the ground. He got up on his feet and walked shakenly and dropped down on his knees to pick up the shiny item.

"What's this?" Jordan wondered out loud, getting Yusei and Kalin's attention. "A silver necklace? How did it get down here?"

Yusei's eyes widened lightly when he heard Jordan say "silver necklace". He walked up to the man and knelt down next to him while holding out a hand. "Let me see."

Jordan nodded and placed the necklace in Yusei's hand. Yusei held up the jewelry by its chain and spotted the way-too familiar feather on the necklace.

"It's Estelle's…", Yusei mumbled out loud.

Kalin and Jordan's eyes widened a bit before they both got up on their feet. Yusei followed their example, but kept the necklace in his hand. He was worried something bad had happened to his crush, but he grew a bit angry when he remembered Lawton's harsh words about hurting Estelle in an unacceptable way. He clenched his hand into a fist, making a promise that Lawton would pay if he dared to hurt Estelle.

The trio helped together to roll Yusei's Duel Runner down the ravine that led them to another graveyard with Gunman's Disks attached on slight fouled poles.

"Well, here we are again…", Kalin said with a low voice.

Jordan walked down to the graveyard with the two young men behind him. The father went down on one knee as he prayed respect for the spirits that lost their freedom when they arrived to the mine. Yusei and Kalin just watched Jordan pray as they both deep inside did the same.

But the trio turned their attention at the grave in front of them when they spotted colorful light. The light came from the Gunman's Disk on the grave right in front of them.

"Jordan, look at that!" Yusei exclaimed. "Looks like that Duel Disk still has power!" He got to learn Jordan's name while they had been traveling in the ravine earlier.

"It's a sign…", Kalin said. "I can't give up here. It's time for me to stand up and Duel for what's right!"

Jordan smiled proudly at Kalin and moved aside to let Kalin strap on the Gunman's Disk on his arm, ripping the weak ropes off as he pulled the Gunman's Disk from the pole.

Kalin stood tall with the Gunman's Disk on his arm like a king, full with motivation and determination. "I will fight for those who have lost their freedom! And as for those who take advantage of the lost and the desperate! I will show them that justice has a name _and_ a face!"

"Kalin!" Yusei called. "Whatever you're thinking, I got your back!"

"And mine as well", Jordan added.

Kalin nodded to them as the sun shone upon them, like a blessing from those who lost their freedom and passed away in the mine.

The new heroes of Crash Town had just been born.

The trio turned their heads at Crash Town where they could see it from the graveyard.

"Bad news, Lawton", Kalin growled. "There's a new sheriff in town. Let's go save the kids, Estelle and everyone!"


	65. Clash at Crash Town

**This will be the final chapter of the Crash Town arc. I will add some parts of the Duel between Lawton, Yusei and Kalin, but that won't be the main attraction. You'll see what else will happen.**

**Special thanks to the anonymous guest who suggested an idea to add in the story. Thank you! :)**

**WARNING! Long chapter!**

**The chapter begins in normal point of view.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 65: Clash at Crash Town**

Crash Town was now under control of Lawton and Barbara. Why, you wonder? Because when Malcolm had been drunk during the party last night, he "accidently" signed under the deed of Crash Town so that the town belonged to Barbara, and not just to her but also her husband Lawton. The Malcolm Crew had turned themselves over to Lawton's group, but they were now literally slaves under the married couple's tyranny.

The underlings were ordered to change the sign of Crash Town and rename the town to Lawton Town. Two of the underlings worked on the front sign while the rest of the goons were being pushed around by Barbara.

But what about the children and Estelle? Well, the trio got tied up by two poles in the main square; one for the children and one for Estelle. West and Nico had regained consciousness some time ago, but Estelle was still knocked out. And sadly, no one had treated her bleeding wound on the forehead. Some of the underlings did pity the woman and wanted to help her, but Barbara and Lawton forbade any of them to approach the young woman. So Estelle was still dirty and bloody, but her wound had stopped bleeding long time ago. And to make things a bit more comfortable for her, Barbara and Lawton made sure that Estelle was sitting on the ground while still being tied up.

The two goons that were working on the sign heard Barbara laughing and turned their attention to the main square. Barbara was there with the rest of the underlings, but whipped them around with a whip. Or rather, she whipped off the red scarfs from two underlings who used to be with the Radley Bunch.

"Your services are no longer required, gentlemen", Barbara told them. "Now, which one of you wants to go work in the mines?"

And spooky enough, the cries of the crows added more horror in the moment just like how the sun was about to set for the day.

"You're pullin' us out of the game?" one of the un-scarf underlings asked in disbelief. "That ain't right, Barb! We didn't do nothin'! Lawton said if we joined his crew, we could stick around!"

"That's right!" the other un-scarf underling nodded.

"Yes, indeed, I did say that", Lawton said as he walked up to the crowd. "But I'm afraid this _is_ the end. For you."

Barbara tiptoed over to her husband with a bright smile and sent him a blow-kiss.

"But why?" the second underling asked.

"Because now that Lawton is in charge of this town, we have to do a little bit of what they call managerial restructuring", Barbara explained. "Which means that you dead bees are gonna have to Duel each other. Winner gets to kick his beat-up and enjoy the good life here in Lawton Town. Loser gets a one-way ticket to the mines."

The underlings were about to protest when a familiar horse cry caught their attention. They all turned to look to the north to see the carriage with those two creepy riders and the black coffins.

The underling with spiky hair didn't want to end up in the mines, so he turned tail and ran. But Barbara didn't allow him to do that. She used her whip to grab him by his neck and hold him back while lightly choking him.

"Where do you think you're going, buttercup?!" Barbara snarled. "Take out your Duel Disk!"

The underling gasped for air and tried to rip the whip off his neck while crying for help. The former Malcolm Crew underlings didn't do anything, but the underling's friend had enough watching and drew out his Gunman's Disk, willing to take the risk to save his friend.

Barbara liked the situation much better and removed the whip from the other underling's neck, allowing him to Duel his friend, although he didn't like it.

Everyone watched the Duel between the two friends who seemed to want to delay the Duel. None of them wanted to go to the mines, so they rather Dueled for a much longer time while straining themselves to keep Dueling. Barbara and Lawton watched on in enjoyment for seeing their little underdogs kicking each other. The rest of the underlings remained by the square to watch.

Lawton turned his eyes on the children who had watched everything. "Don't worry, you two. You won't be goin' to the mines. You're gonna be Barbara's personal assistants." He traveled his eyes down to the unconscious woman next to the children. "And this woman is gonna be the boys' toy for the nights." The children had no idea what Lawton meant by that, but they knew it meant something really bad.

Lawton stepped up to the children and placed a hand on the pole, above Nico, and leant closer to her with threatening eyes. "And don't even think about runnin' away! You're gonna learn to live with the hand you've been dealt."

"Nuh-uh!" West spoke out, getting the adult's attention. "Kalin's gonna come for us and he's gonna save us! And he's gonna take you down!"

Lawton chuckled humorously. "I'm afraid I got bad news for you, lad. Your pal Kalin went bye-bye with your father."

"My dad would clobber you!" Nico spat angrily before her eyes got glassy by tears. "…If he were here…"

"Ain't that sweet!" Lawton said sarcastically. "You wanna know why your old man's not here? Because he didn't know how to live with the hand he was dealt! Just like those two over there!"

The children turned their eyes on the still ongoing Duel between the two former Radley Bunch goons. They were both exhausted, but they had to continue Dueling to decide a winner.

The atmosphere was thick with suspension. Every underling was scared to Duel against their friends and risking their freedom to go work in the mines for a lifetime. But what other choice did they have? They couldn't run away and call for help from New Domino City. Barbara and Lawton would kill them if they did so. The whole situation had come to a dead end.

Until the sound of a harmonica echoed in town.

Everyone looked up and around to find the source of the music. Estelle finally woke up when she heard the familiar tones of the song. She stirred lightly and opened her eyes slowly, feeling a bit groggy at first before her eyes became clear. Her glasses were still on, so she looked around to see where she was at first before turning to the direction where the music came from. She saw a familiar silhouette by the sundown in the horizon that was wearing a long coat that flew by the wind.

"No… No way!" Barbara exclaimed in slight shock.

Lawton just growled at the sight of the person who had arrived once again to Crash Town.

The children were happy to see their hero coming back. Even Estelle let a small weak smile reach her lips as she saw her friend returning.

It was none other than Kalin Kessler.

Kalin stepped up to the main square and stopped playing his harmonica. "So sorry I'm late, kids, Estelle. The traffic here was horrible."

Estelle noticed something new in Kalin's eyes. They were no longer dulled as they were before. They were now shining with determination and the strength of a true man.

"Kalin!" Nico exclaimed happily.

"I knew he'd come!" West smiled.

Estelle kept her soft smile on her lips. "He's back to normal…"

"How?!" Lawton wondered in disbelief. "I saw him fall!"

Everyone could feel the furious aura from Lawton, all of the backing away a bit to not get in the way of Lawton's wrath… Except Kalin. He wasn't affected by the threat from the new owner of Crash Town. The ongoing Duel had even come to a halt as the two Duelists had their attention at their former member.

Kalin turned to every underling. "So _this_ is the deal? Now he's turning you guys against each other? Are you guys so broken and desperate that you let these two call all the shots?" He cast a slight evil glance at Lawton and Barbara. "You outnumbered them, you know?"

"He's got a good point!" the underling with spiky hair exclaimed before he glared at the married couple. "There's more of us than there are of you!"

"Don't be absurd!" Lawton spat angrily. "You dolts can barely tie your shoes! You need a man like me running this joint! But listen, you wanna leave? Go ahead! Good luck finding a place that'll put up with you!"

"Maybe _you_ should be the one to leave, Lawton", Kalin said calmly but firmly. "And maybe _I_ should be the one to make you leave."

"You might wanna change your attitude!" Barbara snarled at the young man. "We've got ourselves something you might want!" She pointed her thumb towards Estelle and the children.

"Not for long!" a familiar voice shouted along with the noise of an engine.

Everyone turned their heads towards west to see a familiar red Duel Runner with a familiar driver.

It was Yusei!

Yusei drove into the town and jumped up with his Duel Runner, ready to help Estelle, West and Nico when Lawton grabbed the whip out from Barbara's hands. He roared as he threw the whip towards Yusei and tied the whip around the young man's neck. Yusei got slightly choked as he flew off the Duel Runner that crash-landed right next to the children and Estelle. Yusei crashed on the ground pretty hard, letting out a shout of pain.

"Yusei!" Estelle cried out worriedly.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I couldn't believe that Lawton went so far by hurting Yusei. This man was just too cruel. But Yusei was still able to stand up and remove the whip just like how he took off his helmet. I noticed how Yusei spat out some blood due to that fall he took. His eyes turned to me and I could swear I saw his eyes widen when he saw the blood on my face. But Lawton interrupted him before he could say a word.

"Well, well, well, I never expected you two to crawl out of that canyon", Lawton said humorously. "What'd you boys say that we just finish things right here and right now?" Barbara handed him over his gun belt with the Gunman's Disk. The man buckled the belt around his waist.

Lawton pointed at both Yusei and Kalin. "I Duel both of you at the same time! How 'bout it?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much what we came here for", Kalin said determinedly.

"Yup!" Yusei nodded. "And then… Once we've won, you and Barbara are gonna leave this town!"

I heard how Lawton growled under his breath.

"Don't do it!" Nico cried out, warning the two young men. "Just get out of here while you can, you guys!"

"I promised your dad I'll keep you safe and sound", Kalin told the worried girl. "And that's exactly what I intend to do! So just hang tight for a bit. This won't take too long." He held out his own belt with a Gunman's Disk. "This Duel Disk belongs to someone stuck in those mines. I'm here to honor his name and everyone else who came here and gave up on hope, and on themselves."

"He's so cool…", I heard Nico mumble lowly.

"He's become a real man now", I smiled lightly. "A true leader."

"To anyone who's been kicked around and made you feel small, I'm here to help you raise up and fight back!" Kalin exclaimed determinedly.

"Wow, he sure knows how to talk pretty and give a rousing speech!" West commented.

"He sure does…", Nico nodded with a soft voice.

Barbara stepped up to Lawton. "What a joke! He sure likes the sound of his own voice, doesn't he?"

"Let him have his little own dramatic moment", Lawton replied calmly. "After all… A man is titled to his last words."

The sun was coming closer to hit the horizon. Everyone stepped aside from the main square to give place for Lawton, Kalin and Yusei to Duel. The others stood behind the Duelists to watch. Lawton said he would begin with ten cards instead of five because he was Dueling for two people, and this Duel wasn't exactly a well-matched Multi-Duel with 1 VS. 2 Duelists.

Yusei seemed to hesitate when he heard the Dueling conditions, but Kalin refused to give in before the Duel. I saw how Yusei looked proud to see his friend coming back to his old spirit.

It was deadly quiet as everyone waited for the sun to hit the horizon. It was less than fifteen seconds for the Duel to begin.

"I'm nervous…", Nico mumbled.

"Those two can beat him. I know they can", West said determinedly.

It was then I noticed something was off. Where was Jordan? Didn't he fall into the canyon that Lawton claimed they did hours ago? Was Jordan okay? What if he got hurt?

No… I had a feeling there was something else behind. I just had to wait and see. I didn't want to reveal my powers yet to get out from the restriction, but if I absolutely needed to, then I would certainly do it.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Lawton was the fastest one to draw his ten cards and got the first turn of the Duel. The Duel was very intense, and pretty scary in my eyes. Kalin's Life Points got dropped to zero by Gatling Ogre's special ability in the first turn, but thanks to Kalin's Infernity Zero he was able to stay in the Duel as long as he had Infernity Zero out on the field, but for a small price. For each multiple of 500 points of damage he would take, he would gain a Doom Counter, and once he had three Doom Counters Infernity Zero would get destroyed and Kalin would be out of the Duel.

Yusei wanted to use his Monster card Effect Veiler to negate Gatling Ogre's special ability, but Lawton knew about the card and used one of his face-down Trap cards Pinpoint Shot to send that card to the Graveyard.

To tell you the truth, I had my own copy of Effect Veiler back in my dimension, but I didn't know back then that card belonged to Yusei. I thought it was one of Luna's Duel Monsters, but I guess I was wrong about it.

Lawton put his Gatling Ogre in defense mode and equipped the Double Arms Equip Spell card to his Duel Monster. Now Gatling Ogre's special ability to deliver 800 damage was doubled. Lawton's main target was Kalin, so he ordered Gatling Ogre to use the special ability to take out Kalin, but Kalin activated his face-down Dodge Roll and made the damage become zero. However, Lawton ordered Gatling Ogre again, but Yusei activated his face-down Half-Shield so it could halve the damage that Kalin took. But even so, Kalin earned one Doom Counter from the points of damage he took.

Kalin taunted Lawton a bit to finish him off because Lawton thought it was a joke that Kalin, who once lost hope, regained it and still wanted to fight for the right. I growled angrily at Lawton's words. He had no respect for his opponents.

In the end, Lawton was nothing more than a big bully.

Lawton decided not to use his last face-down, so he ended his turn. It was a bit of a relief for me. I didn't even notice I had held my breath back when Kalin taunted Lawton.

The Duel came on a small halt when Kalin confessed to Yusei about his feelings when he thought Yusei had betrayed him, and how self-absorbed he became when he had turned into a Dark Signer. But now Kalin was able to open his eyes and found something to fight and live on. To protect others, and Crash Town and West and Nice were good examples for that purpose.

Kalin filled his field with five Infernity monsters thanks to his handless combo. Barbara didn't like it how the Duel was turning out and literally ordered Lawton to win. West and Nico giggled a bit for seeing the woman being upset.

Lawton stopped Kalin's attack by using his face-down Back Attack Ambush to end the Battle Phase and Special summoned four Ambush Tokens, all four of them in defense mode, because of Kalin's four Infernity monsters in attack mode.

The bad boy AKA Lawton wanted to Tribute all four Ambush Tokens to inflict 2000 damage at Kalin (500 damage for each Ambush Token), but Yusei activated his Justice Bringer's special ability to negate the special effect even though it wasn't his turn.

I noticed how Barbara got angry for every minute that passed by.

Yusei Synchro summoned his Nitro Warrior with Quickdraw Synchron and Quillbolt Hedgehog and took out Gatling Ogre and dealt some damage at Lawton with Nitro Warrior's special ability.

Since Lawton had two Ambush Tokens on his field when it was his turn, he was able to Tribute summon Blaster Ogre with an impressive defense points of 3000. But thanks to Blaster Ogre's special ability, he was able to destroy Kalin's strongest Monster that was Infernity Archfiend and dealt half of its attack points at him. So Kalin had now two Doom Counters on Infernity Zero. One more and it would be game over for Kalin.

Lawton said he could use Blaster Ogre's special ability twice a turn, so he targeted Kalin's Infernity Beast, but Yusei activated his face-down Trap card Skill twist to redirect the effect at him and his Nitro Warrior. It sadly cost him his Synchro Monster and nearly half his Life Points.

Kalin used his new card Blaster Cartridge to send the four cards from the top of his Deck to the Graveyard and then drew a new card and placed his Spell card back to the top of the Deck. He said when he would draw the Spell card next time, it would go to the Graveyard. Kalin summoned Infernity Randomizer to add more Duel Monsters for a Synchro summon. He tuned Infernity Beast with his two Infernity Beetles and Infernity Randomizer to Synchro summon Infernity Doom Dragon. Sure, I liked dragon Duel Monsters, but Infernity Doom Dragon didn't exactly belong among my favorite Duel Monsters dragons.

Kalin activated Infernity Doom Dragon's special ability to destroy Blaster Ogre and inflict half of its attack points as damage to Lawton, but the cowboy used his face-down Metal Coat to equip it at his Blaster Ogre. It helped his Duel Monster becoming immune to card effects that were meant to destroy Duel Monsters. But because Kalin activated Infernity Doom Dragon's special ability he couldn't attack.

Yusei summoned Bri Synchron and tuned Justice Bringer with the new Monster to Synchro summon Stardust Dragon. A quick note from me; I thought Bri Synchron looked like a Transformer from said cartoon in my dimension.

Thanks to Bri Synchron's special ability, Stardust Dragon gained 600 attack points, but its special abilities were negated until the End Phase. The cosmic dragon attacked Blaster Ogre, but Lawton sent Metal Coat to the Graveyard and prevented his Monster from being destroyed in battle. However Yusei countered back with his face-down Synchro Blast to inflict 500 points of damage to Lawton as a Synchro Monster had attacked.

Lawton was about to begin his turn when Barbara suddenly whipped the whip in her hand on the ground, interrupting the Duel. The Duel Monsters and face-down cards disappeared from the field. Every one of us turned our attention at the underlings that pointed their shock guns at Kalin and Yusei, because of Barbara's orders.

"No one's gonna see anything!" Barbara declared, standing too close to me and the children. "'Cause this Duel is over!"

Lawton looked very surprised by his wife's sudden move. "Barbara! What gives?"

"I'll tell you what! Since there's a chance you could lose this, we just stop!" Barbara replied.

The two men on the carriage looked shocked by the sudden turn of event. "Wait, so you stop the Duel in a mid-match?" the smallest man asked Barbara. "But that goes against the town rules-"

But the man bit back when the underlings pointed their shock guns at those two on the carriage.

"I think you're forgetting something!" Barbara snarled at the small man. "Lawton runs this town, so he makes the rules! Which means, if he so incline, he can break them too!" She cast a charming smirk at Lawton who didn't reply on it.

"Barbara-", Yusei spoke up.

Barbara stepped closer to me, West and Nico, blocking us with her hand that held the whip. The children let out soft gasps of fear while I remained quiet, but I kept glaring at the woman in front of us.

"It's over, you two", Barbara told Yusei and Kalin. "Now surrender, or prepare to meet your fate." The young men were both surprised to rather shocked. "If not, bad things will happen to these kids!" Barbara held her whip threateningly. "And that includes your little girlfriend here!"

"Don't listen!" West called.

"Forget us!" Nico told the two young men.

"No, you wouldn't dare!" Kalin hissed back at Barbara, definitely holding back his anger just like Yusei.

"I would", Barbara replied.

I had been quiet for a long time, but now I had to pour out my true and honest feelings. "Ugly woman", I muttered out loud enough for Barbara to hear.

Barbara turned her head sharply at me and lowered the whip while she glared at me. "Huh?! Care to repeat that loud and clear, little mouse?"

I turned my head up and glared warningly at the woman. "You call yourself a woman, but I don't see a woman when I look at you." I saw from the corner of my eyes how everyone had their attention at me, including the underlings. "What I see is a monster that is so desperate for power and might, and the wish to step on those who are weaker than yourself. You put up a mask on your face to hide your true self, trying to look charming to attract men and make them do all the dirty work, while deep inside you're afraid to crawl on the mud and do the work yourself." I never stop glaring at Barbara as I held the tone of hatred in my voice. "In the end… You are the weak one who tries to manipulate the people around you and that makes you the ugliest woman in the world!" I shouted out the last sentence with so much anger I could bring out.

Barbara actually got lobster-red on her face by anger. "NO ONE CALLS ME UGLY, YOU BITCH!" She threw the whip up in the air, ready to hit me, when someone shouted stop and pointed a shock gun at Barbara.

"Stop!"

Barbara halted on her move and looked over her shoulder. I blinked my eyes in slight relief when I saw it was one of the underlings. He looked really mad at Barbara, and one by one the other underlings followed the first one while removing their red scarfs.

"She's right!" the underling who was pointing his shock gun at Barbara said. "We've not only been under Barbara's thumb but also under Lawton's for long enough!"

"Yeah, and if Kalin can win this, then just _maybe_ things will change!" a second underling agreed. "This Duel is gonna go on so we can at least find out!"

"You're right", Kalin nodded. "Good point." He glanced down at his Gunman's Disk. "Alright then… It's game on!"

"Big time!" Yusei nodded.

I saw how every underling, both former Malcolm and Radley members, removed their scarfs, showing they were all rebelling against Lawton and Barbara. The even lowered their guns, but kept pointing them at the two men on the carriage, Barbara and Lawton.

"You'll pay for questioning Lawton's authority!" Barbara growled.

"The only thing you'll be questioning is if you're worthy enough to stay here in _my_ town, Barbara and Lawton!" a familiar voice spoke up.

We all turned our attention towards the south of the main square to see three figures standing there. West and Nico let out gasps of relief when they saw a familiar figure next to the other two.

"Father!" Nico cried with joy.

"Dad!" West shouted happily.

Indeed, it was Jordan who was standing next to Klaus who stood in the middle and had Beatrix standing on his right side.

Klaus took one step forward. "Lawton, when I first made you the sheriff of town, I was hoping you would keep the same dream as you had when you were in Kalin's age. The feeling of justice, keeping the town safe, dealing with crimes and becoming a role model for the next generation." An angry glance shone in his eyes. "But because of you growing greedy by your big brother's side, you lost your dream and had only one thing in mind. Domination, and you were willing to share the duty with your wife." The old man shook his head disappointingly. "It was a mistake of mine when I decided to retire from being the sheriff of town." He glared at Lawton. "But I'm still the eldest of Crash Town, so I _demand_ you and Barbara to leave immediately, with or without the end of the Duel!"

Lawton chuckled darkly. "I don't think so, old man."

Before we all knew it, Lawton had drawn out his own shock gun and shot both Klaus and Jordan. The two men cried out in pain and collapsed on the ground. Beatrix moved immediately to help them, fear painted on her face. West and Nico cried for their father, both of them worried for him.

And the next thing we knew, Lawton had shot the two former underlings that had kept Barbara on guard, both of them falling down on their knees.

"Wait, what are you doing?!" Yusei cried out on shock.

"So what? Are you just gonna shock-blast everyone?!" Kalin growled at Lawton. "I thought you were a Duelist! And you dare to go as low as to hurt the seniors?!"

Lawton turned towards Kalin and Yusei, mainly Kalin, and pointed his shock gun at him. "I'm many things!"

"You punk…!" Kalin growled through his teeth.

"What now?" Yusei questioned.

"I'll tell you what now", Lawton said. "Now I re-establish my control over these people by making a show of some _real_ force! And I think I'll make that show on you two!"

The sheriff was about to pull the trigger when something blew by and knocked the shock gun out of Lawton's hand. The force of the hit was so strong that he nearly fell down on the ground as the shock gun flew away from arms reach. The item that had knocked away the shock gun ended up being a Duel Monster, and it was an extremely familiar card too.

A figure appeared on the roof of the building where Barbara's flower shop was. "Looks like I got here just in the nick of time!"

"It's Crow!" Kalin exclaimed in surprise.

Yep, it was indeed the carrot-head.

Crow smirked lightly. "That's right! I took a ride to look for Yusei and Estelle. Howdy, bud!" He gave Yusei a thumbs up as the raven-haired man returned the gesture.

Barbara moved to the children and began untying them from the pole.

"Stay away from them!" I shouted at her warningly.

But her answer was a hard kick on my left cheek, making me spit out some blood mixed with saliva. My cheek was starting to swollen and throbbed hotly. The good thing was my glasses had remained on my face after that kick.

Once West and Nico were free, Barbara grabbed them and moved back, using them as hostages.

"Kalin!" Nico called.

"Help! She's got us!" West shouted.

I saw how Jordan was recovered a bit from the shock-blast. He looked up when he heard his children crying and I saw his eyes widen in fear. "Nico! West!"

Kalin turned his attention from Crow to the children. "Why you…!" He was about to run to us, but Barbara forced him to stay where he was.

"Don't come any closer or else!" Barbara threatened while gripping the children as hard as she could that she made them cry out in pain.

But someone kicked the whip out of Barbara's hand before that someone gave her a punch on her pretty face. That made the woman lose her grip on the children and fell down on the ground. The children ran to hide behind their hero as that person glared down at Barbara.

"I only lay a hand on a woman if she lays hers on a child!" the person with blonde hair and amethyst eyes said sternly. "But if a woman dares to hit one of my friends, then I gladly return the favor!"

"Took some time, Jack…", I smiled lightly.

"Jack too?!" Kalin's jaw literally dropped in surprise.

Jack cast a small smile at Kalin before turning to Yusei. "Yusei! The next time you step out, maybe leave a note. You'll be easier to find." He gave his foster brother a thumbs up that was returned before Jack moved over to me to untie me.

"Amazing…", Kalin mumbled in happiness. "The Enforcers are all together again!"

Once Jack had set me free, I stood up on slight weak legs that regained the feeling before I stepped over to Nico and West to protect them as the four young men of The Enforcers were gathered together once again.

"Look, sis! Those four look unstoppable!" West said impressed. "This is awesome!"

West was right on his words. Yusei, Jack, Crow and Kalin emitted an aura combined with all their four personalities that united them. They suddenly had the appearance of true men.

Barbara stepped up to Lawton who was growling through his teeth. But we all started hearing noises coming from the mountain with the Dyne mine. There were shouts of people and also noises of running engines.

"Oh, yeah, when I felt my Mark burn last night, I had a feeling something was wrong, so we called a few reinforcements", Jack explained.

"You rat!" Lawton growled before he pulled out something from his pants.

It was a trigger!

Before I could shout to warn everyone, Lawton had pushed the button of the trigger and caused every building in Crash Town to explode into pieces. I pushed the children down as I protected them with my body while broken wood boards and bricks flew around us. The smoke surrounded us and it made us all cough and temporary blind.

"I'm outta here! See ya!" I heard Lawton's voice shout as the engine of a Duel Runner echoed in the destroyed town.

"Lawton Lotten, come back immediately!" I heard Klaus's voice shout strictly.

I removed my body from the children just as Kalin rushed over to us to take a closer look at them. He had a very worried face. "Kids! Are you okay?" he asked.

Nico nodded, "Yeah, thanks to Estelle."

"Think so", West replied.

"We have to get Lawton before he gets away!" I told them, getting everyone's attention.

The smoke was dying out just as I noticed Kalin had spotted something. I followed his glance and found Yusei's Duel Runner that had crashed next to the poles where the children and I had been tied to.

"Kalin, take my Duel Runner!" Yusei said in a slight hissing voice due to the smoke. "Finish this once and for all!" He let out a smile. "I believe in you. We all do!" He gave Kalin and thumbs up.

"Thanks, Yusei", Kalin replied with his own small smile. "He's all mine!"

The long-haired man grabbed Yusei's helmet and rushed over to the fallen Duel Runner. He brought it up, sat down on it, started the engine and drove off. He actually drove past Barbara who got left behind by Lawton.

"Hey! What kind of hubby leaves behind his own wife?!" she shouted angrily, her back faced to us.

Jordan had rushed over to Nico and West, so I left them in his hands as I snuck up to Barbara to answer her question both verbally and physically.

"The one who only cares for himself", I replied nonchalantely.

Barbara turned around and I gave her my own punch. She cried out in pain and collapsed on the ground as I towered her. Her eyes were now shining with pure fear.

"It's over, Barbara", I told her. "Surrender, because it's game over for you and your husband." I heard footsteps approach me and I knew it was the three young men to add support and show Barbara we wouldn't go mercy on her.

Barbara let out a defeated sigh before she nodded, finally giving in.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

We were all busy the whole night to help the Crash Town residents get out from the collapsed buildings and give them aid and food, thanks with help from Sector Security. Speaking of aid, my wound on the forehead got treated, so my head was bandaged, and face washed and clean from all the dried blood from earlier.

I noticed how Crow and Beatrix had stayed close together during the night to catch up with things, but I could see more than that. I could see the slowly but surely blossoming love from both parties. They were both so cute whenever they were a bit shy.

Once the morning sun shone upon us, the residents and the former underlings began rebuilding the town. Everyone was now happy and finally felt freedom with no more fear for being sent to the mine. You could clearly sense the aura was different compared to before.

Officer Trudge had joined the squad to help Crash Town out from the claws of Lawton and Barbara. He surveyed the arrest of Lawton and Barbara as the couple got escorted to a police car.

The rest of us, meaning Yusei, Jack, Crow, Kalin, Jordan, Nico, West, Beatrix, Klaus and I were at the outskirts of Crash Town, exchanging some last words before it was time to depart.

"So, is it true, Kalin? You're staying?" Yusei asked with no upset voice.

"That's right", Kalin replied. "I want to help this town reach its full potential, and I found my purpose here instead of my death that I first thought."

"And you're the perfect sheriff of Crash Town, young lad", Klaus smiled proudly. "I'll be happy to have you as my junior."

Kalin chuckled at Klaus before he turned to Yusei. "Yusei." Said man looked at him. "You made all of this possible. Thank you." He stepped up to Yusei with a smile. "You were right. The darkness _has_ left me." He held out his hand to shake hands with the raven-haired man.

"Kalin…", Yusei mumbled before he smiled and shook hands with Kalin.

Kalin turned his eyes on me. "Estelle."

"Yes?" I asked.

"Thank you", Kalin said as he held out his hand to me. "You made me realize I do have a reason to live for." He looked over his shoulder to look at the small family with West, Nico and Jordan. "For not only the town but for these children as well."

Nico smiled with a soft blush while West grinned brightly. Jordan had his hands rested on his children's shoulders as he smiled at us.

I smiled at the family before I shook hands with Kalin. "I'm always here to help people in need and guide them to the light."

"Nah, I don't know", Crow suddenly spoke up a bit teasingly. "I, kinda like, did think I made some of it possible too." That earned him a soft giggle from Beatrix who stood next to Klaus.

"Oh, come on!" Jack replied playfully. "If anyone deserves credit it's me! Did you see how I rescued those kids and Estelle? I should get a medal!"

I looked over my shoulder to smirk teasingly at Jack. "Oh, are you asking for a gold medal, Mister Number 1?"

Jack retorted with a playful smirk as the children laughed at my comment.

Kalin chuckled lightly before he let go of my hand, but he grew a slight serious face. "Estelle?" I turned back to him with confused eyes. "May I speak to you in private before you leave?"

I was confused to hear that, but I nodded. Kalin and I headed into town, but turned by a corner to talk.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Yusei couldn't help but feel a bit worried about Estelle and Kalin. What could possibly be so important to talk about that they had to walk to a certain distance so others wouldn't hear them?

Crow took the opportunity to talk with Beatrix and Klaus one last time while Jordan spoke with Jack, and West and Nico waited for Kalin to come back.

Yusei saw his chance and walked over to the corner to eavesdrop on Estelle and Kalin. It was wrong of him, yes, but still… What if Kalin was going to confess?

*_No!_* Yusei shook his head. *_That's ridiculous! They don't know that much of each other._*

Yusei peeked over the corner and saw Estelle's back faced to him as Kalin looked at her with serious eyes and arms crossed.

"Estelle…", Kalin began. "I noticed how you pushed away Yusei when he hugged you back on the mountain when he and I broke free. I've never seen him like a woman so much as he likes you. And I can tell you hold feelings for him too." Estelle's shoulders moved a bit, as in telling she was busted.

Yusei hid quickly back at the corner with widen eyes. So his feelings for Estelle were mutual? She loved him as he loved her?

"Yes…", Estelle confessed, nodding lightly as her face was covered by her bangs.

"So why are you pushing him away from you?" Kalin asked, getting Yusei's attention. "What are you so afraid for?"

Yusei wanted to know the answer himself. He needed to know why Estelle wasn't telling him the truth of her feelings, especially now when he had confessed to her before.

Estelle looked up at Kalin with sad eyes, but never having tears in them. "I can't be with him as his girlfriend."

"Why not?" Kalin asked.

"Because…", Estelle hesitated a bit. "I'm only here in this dimension temporary. Once my mission is over… The Crimson Dragon will send me back to my dimension."

Yusei literally felt his heart stop beating when he heard that.

"If I would confess to Yusei and become his girlfriend, I would just give him a broken heart in the end", Estelle continued, doing her best to not get upset. "He already lost his parents as a baby and I don't want to add another fragment in his heart."

Yusei clenched his hand into a fist. He wasn't angry. He was just a bit upset for hearing how Estelle seemed to be conflicted with the fact that she would be sent back to her world. And the part when she said she didn't want to break Yusei's heart because of the loss of his parents when he was an infant was honorable. He couldn't help but smile lightly as a small tear ran down his left cheek.

*_She's so different from Gina…_*, Yusei thought as he wiped away the tear on his cheek. *_Estelle is…one of a kind._*

"I see…", Kalin's facial expression softened a bit for hearing the truth. "Well… Guess I won't be able to change your mind no matter how much I try to convince you."

Estelle shook her head. "Sadly, no."

Kalin smiled lightly before he placed a hand on Estelle's shoulder. "Then make sure that you'll remain by Yusei's side and help him as you always do. After all… You are the Crimson Star Priestess of the Signers."

Estelle smiled softly as well. "I'm surprised you remember the time of the Dark Signers while Carly and the others don't."

"I'm surprised myself", Kalin confessed. "But I'm not holding myself back because of my past. It's time to look at the future and for the light."

Estelle nodded proudly. "That's the right attitude, Kalin. Or should I call you… Sheriff Kessler?"

Kalin let out a small laugh with Estelle, laughing out the bad things that had happened both in the past and in the present.

Yusei felt a bit relieved to hear the joyful laughter coming from his friends. It lightened up his heart to hear his friends were feeling good inside. And after hearing the truth from Estelle, he finally made a decision.

*_No matter how many times Estelle will deny my affections for her, I won't give up_*, he thought as a serious expression appeared on his face. *_I'll stay by her side till the end, and when she'll leave… I will confess to her one more time._*


	66. More Questions than Answers

**I did think if I should skip Episode 93, but after watching it I decided it was a very important scene, especially with Estelle being involved.**

**Also, be prepared that this chapter **_**might!**_** hold some spoilers for future chapters.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 66: More Questions than Answers**

It had been two weeks since the Crash Town event, and it had been a week ago when Yusei, Jack and Crow got a letter from Kalin to hear how things were going on in the town. From what I heard, Crash Town had been renamed to Satisfaction Town to honor The Enforcers and there were no more slavery. Malcolm and Radley had decided to disband their groups to maintain peace, but the Dyne mine was never abandoned. It was now used as an income for the residents of Satisfaction Town and the men worked there willingly with no tyranny.

My wound on my forehead had healed, but it had left behind a scar. Luckily my bangs were able to hide the scar, even though it wasn't a big one compared to Trudge's scar on his left cheek.

Today I accompanied Yusei and Bruno to Sector Security's headquarters to have a small meeting with Mina and Trudge. It was about Bruno's situation with amnesia and the hope to identify him.

Yusei, Bruno, Mina, Trudge and I sat in the cafeteria in Sector Security HQ, a bit apart from the main tables, to have our discussion. The reason why I was with them was because Yusei had asked me to come along. I didn't see any reason why I should go, but he insisted he wanted me to join them. Of course, I didn't want to hurt his feelings, plus I wanted to be with him, so I accepted the offer and met up with Yusei and Bruno by the Sector Security HQ.

"So then…", Trudge began the meeting. "You still haven't regained your memory?"

Bruno nodded, "No. It's all still one big haze."

"Has Sector Security found any leads on Bruno's ID?" Yusei asked the Sector Security duo.

"Well…", Mina pulled out a sheet of paper and placed on the table where we sat by. "We ran his prints and did a face-scan down at the super Main Frame, but no matches."

"Really…?" Bruno said sadly. "Nothing…?"

I placed a hand on Bruno's shoulder, giving him some comfort. "But that doesn't mean you're not supposed to exist. I'm sure there are some clues about you somewhere, even if we have to turn every single pebble to find them."

Bruno turned to me and gave me a small smile. "Thanks, Estelle."

Trudge turned to Yusei. "Yusei, would it be okay if he checked up over at your place for a little bit longer?"

"Yeah", Yusei nodded. "Sure, of course."

Mina checked her wristwatch before she stood up. "I'm afraid Trudge and I must head back to our work. Will you three be able to get out on your own?"

"Of course, Mina", I nodded as I followed her lead with the three men.

Once Yusei, Bruno and I said bye, we headed to the elevator. We waited for a few seconds before the elevator opened and let us in. I didn't feel so safe in elevators because I had a bit claustrophobia, but since there were windows on the wall that showed the city, I felt safer, knowing I could get out of the elevator if something would happen.

I stayed quiet, playing with my silver necklace, as Yusei noticed how Bruno looked out through the window during the trip down the building. "You okay, Bruno?" the raven-haired man asked.

"Yeah…", Bruno sighed. "It's just… I have this weird feeling that someone out there is waiting for me." He turned around to look at us. "I don't know. That probably doesn't make any sense, does it?"

"Sure it does", Yusei replied. "Don't you worry, Bruno. We're gonna find out who you are."

"Yeah, I sure hope so", Bruno agreed. "I feel so lost."

"Welcome to the club", I replied, getting the two men's attention. "I also have these conflicted feelings about the upcoming events." I turned my head to look out through the window. "Bad things will happen during the World Racing Grand Prix, but I can't remember all of them. However, one thing is certain; Yliaster will show up."

"Will it be _that_ bad?" Yusei asked with a concerned voice.

I let out a soft sigh, putting away the silver feather of the necklace under my black shirt. "I wish I could remember… But…"

I hesitated for a moment. Would the adventure continue with the Arc Cradle arc or would it stop right after the WRGP? I couldn't remember if the Crimson Dragon told me that, or if he did; then I probably forgot about it because of all the events that had happened during these last few months.

"But?" Yusei said, trying to pry out more information from me.

I shook my head, telling him I couldn't tell more. The second after that, the whole elevator and building shook due to an explosion. I let out a small shriek as Bruno and Yusei let out gasps of surprise. The elevator stopped moving and the lights turned off.

I panted a bit of the shock, feeling my heart beat faster by that sudden adrenaline kick. "Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah", Bruno nodded. "What just happened?"

The alarm turned on with a voice repeating a warning.

"_Code red. Repeat; code red. Please evacuate immediately. Please evacuate immediately._"

"Evacuate?" Yusei said in surprise.

"And we're stuck in here?!" Bruno yelped.

I turned to Bruno. "Don't you have tools in that jacket of yours, Bruno?"

Bruno snapped out of it before he pulled open his jacket to reveal his tools. "Oh, yeah! I forgot about them for a minute", he let out a nervous laugh while sweat dropping.

Yusei turned around with a determined aura. "Okay then!" He pulled out a screwdriver from Bruno's jacket. "Let's get out of here!"

The two young men began tinkering with the control panel of the elevator while I stood in the background, watching over them. They were able to unlock the elevator in less than one minute and pull the doors open.

"Nice going, Yusei", Bruno praised him.

"Thanks!" Yusei nodded as we rushed out from the elevator. "Now let's get-"

I noticed how Yusei halted and spotted something on the lower level of the corridor where we were. I followed his glance and saw a duo that I had almost forgotten about.

Sherry LeBlanc and her butler Elsworth.

"What in the world?" Yusei mumbled out loud.

"Do you know them?" Bruno asked.

"Yeah", Yusei nodded before he rushed off. "But where are they going?"

"Wait for us, Yusei!" I called as I ran after him.

"Hey, did you forget?! We're supposed to be evacuating!" Bruno shouted.

"Then why is that duo here?!" I retorted over my shoulder. "Aren't they supposed to evacuate as well?!"

Yusei, Bruno and I ran down the stairs that led to a restricted area for non-Sector Security, but we were able to catch up with Sherry and Elsworth.

"Sherry!" Yusei called as soon as we spotted the duo.

Sherry and her butler stopped running and saw us standing there. The blonde woman smiled with a sharp look on her face. "Yusei and Estelle. Long time no see. What's happening? You smartened up and decided to join my team yet, Fudo?"

"Now's not the time to talk about that!" Yusei retorted sharply.

"We all have to get out of here!" Bruno said. "It's not safe to be in this building right now!"

Sherry chuckled, "Actually… Yes, it is. We just rigged one blast for effect."

"Wait, then _you're_ behind this?" Yusei asked in surprise.

I held myself back to face palm. "Isn't it obvious? Why else would those two be down here and not outside?"

"Point taken", Yusei replied before he turned back to the duo. "But why?"

"Sorry, but that's simply none of your business", Sherry replied before she turned around and headed to an open door with Elsworth. "Au revoir!"

"Wait!" Yusei called as the three of us ran after Sherry, but Elsworth blocked our way. "Let me through! You two won't get away with this!"

"Try to stop me", Sherry taunted as she headed inside the corridor where the door led before it slowly got barricaded.

"Sherry!" Yusei called as he, Bruno and I tried to get through Elsworth.

And let me tell you this; Elsworth was like a big buffalo. He was able to block Yusei, but Bruno and I ran past him. I dived towards the small opening of the door and made it through, landing on my stomach. But then I felt a body hit me from behind and got knocked off ahead by said body.

I turned around and saw it was Bruno. He had made it through the door opening before it got barricaded. He gave me a small sheepish smile as apology before we both got up on our feet.

"Bruno, Estelle, you two have to stop Sherry!" I heard Yusei shout from the other side of the barricade.

"You can count on us, Yusei!" Bruno replied.

"Be careful, Yusei!" I added. "The butler is not someone you want to play with!"

With that said, I ignored the reply and ran off ahead with Bruno by my side.

"What could Sherry want to do with the Main Frame?" Bruno asked.

I hesitated to answer for a second. "Something that is not good. That's as much as I know."

I did know the card Sherry wanted to analyze had a connection to not only Yliaster but also to Z-one, the main antagonist. But I didn't know if there would be any consequences in the end that could affect the chain of events.

Bruno was a bit faster than me because he had long legs and made it first to the Main Frame where Sherry stood, ready to analyze her Spell card. "Stop!" Bruno called. "Don't even take another step! It's over!"

I was right behind Bruno when I noticed Sherry's movements. I realized quickly she was going to attack Bruno with martial arts so I grabbed Bruno by his waist with my right arm and used my left arm to shield the young man's face from Sherry's kick.

Sadly, the actions caused me and Bruno to fall down on the floor. I groaned in pain since Bruno literally sat on me. "G-Get off!" I told him.

Bruno jumped up on his feet and stepped back a bit from Sherry who looked ready to murder us. I got up on my feet as well as Sherry targeted Bruno and not me.

"Wait! No, stop! Please don't hurt me!" Bruno begged as Sherry kept going at him.

The blue-haired man rolled and avoided Sherry's attacks. "Please, let's just talk!" Bruno tried to get out of the situation before he tripped and fell down on the floor.

Sherry was about to give him a hard punch when I jumped in and grabbed Sherry's fist. The second later, I threw her down on the floor, making her yelp out in slight pain. Once she was down, I let go of her and helped Bruno up on his legs.

The French woman got up on her feet with a growl. "You'll pay for that…"

But before she could do anything, we all heard a ring-tone coming from her. Bruno and I watched how Sherry picked up a cell phone and answered the call, which was Elsworth reporting.

"What's up?"

I strained my ears to listen to Elsworth from the cell phone.

"_Sector Security has entered the building. There's not much time. Have you found what you're looking for?_"

"No. There's been an unexpected delay. I need more time."

"_But, Sherry-_"

"No buts! I'm not leaving until I find the answers I need!"

"_Very well…_"

With that, the call ended and Sherry put away her cell phone. Her eyes glowed with anger for me and Bruno distracting her. She stepped closer to us, holding her left arm with Duel Disk in a weird way, as if she was going to use it as a weapon.

"Please… Please, no more!" Bruno begged behind me. "Why don't you just leave now before you get caught?"

"Because I'm willing to risk my freedom and more for the information I'm looking for", Sherry replied, her sharp eyes literally stabbing us.

"Why?" Bruno continued asking. "What's this info?"

"It all has to do with one card; where it came from, who handed it, everything!" Sherry replied before her eyes got a bit glassy by tears that she held back. "Once I find that out, I can find out who took my parents from me and finally get my revenge." She held up her Duel Disk and revealed a taser! "That's why no one will interfere!"

The blonde woman was about to hit me with the taser when I suddenly felt myself move. But it was actually Bruno who had grabbed me by my waist and jumped away before the taser could touch me.

Once Bruno and I were a few meters from Sherry, the blue-haired man released me and looked at the woman with weird eyes. I realized his eyes were actually glowing red, and it was very intimidating.

Sherry was about to kick Bruno when he easily grabbed her ankle and threw her over his shoulder. I watched how Sherry landed gracefully on her feet, but before she could move, Bruno dived and sealed her by her neck, choking her a bit.

My eyes widened when I saw Bruno raise up his left hand and clenched it into a fist, ready to punch Sherry. I jumped in and grabbed his arm with both my hands, holding him back to hurt the blonde woman.

"Bruno, stop!" I shouted, hoping to grab his attention and bring him back to his senses. "This isn't you, Bruno! Snap out of it!"

I saw how Sherry looked surprised to see me trying to protect her as she struggled against Bruno's grip. I spotted the Spell card Z-ONE inside Sherry's jacket and was about to take it when Bruno unexpectedly swung his left arm and pushed me away. I yelped a bit in pain as I landed on my back, feeling my spine and muscles throb by the impact.

I got up on my elbows when I saw Bruno had grabbed the Spell card while Sherry struggled even more, desperate to get the card back. Bruno just stared at the card with his eyes still glowing red.

"No…! That card…!" Sherry struggled. "It's the only clue…that I have to set my life straight again…!"

"Set my life straight again…", Bruno mumbled to himself.

Something must have triggered him, because his eyes stopped glowing and he let go of Sherry. The blonde woman gasped and coughed to make her throat feel better as Bruno headed over to the Main Frame.

I stepped over to Sherry and helped her up, seeing she was no longer fighting. She looked rather surprised that Bruno actually helped her analyze the Z-ONE Spell card.

"What are you doing?" Sherry demanded from the blue-haired man.

"Solving the mystery", Bruno replied, never looking away from the monitor. "This computer's highly advanced. I'll operate it for you."

"Why are you helping me?" Sherry asked, a bit flabbergasted.

"I know what it's like to have questions about the past", Bruno replied. "And if this is your one chance to get some real answers, and I can help… Well then, why not?"

Sherry turned to me who stood next to her right. "Why aren't you stopping him?"

"Same reason as he said", I replied. "I may have not lost my memories of my past or lost my parents when I was a little girl, but… I've got compassion for others who seeks for answers. I'm not a heartless person who leaves someone in the dust when they're crying for help." Sherry was all silent. "Yusei is the very same. If you could have just asked us for help, we would help you. But I understand that you have enemies around you and you don't easily trust others, but you need to open up you heart a little bit more." A small smile reached my lips. "There are people out there who might want to hurt you, but there are also people who want to help you."

"I…", Sherry was stunned for sure before she composed herself. "Thank you…"

"My pleasure", Bruno replied with a hint of joyful voice.

We waited for a minute or two before the analysis was complete, and the result was not good news for Sherry.

We only got to learn about the Spell card's effect; when this Set card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, select 1 Continuous Spell or Field Spell card in your Graveyard, and add it to your hand.

"Guess that's that", Bruno said a bit surprised.

"No way!" Sherry exclaimed. "There's no way that this is right! This card has answers! It has to!"

My Star Mark started to glow through my sleeve which grabbed our attention. But a second later, my Mark started to hurt. I gripped my arm and held back grunts of pain as Bruno supported me.

"Hey, Estelle! You okay?!" the young man asked worriedly.

"N-No…", I shook my head, feeling some wetness gather in my eyes by the pain. "So-Something's not right…"

The Z-ONE Spell card suddenly emitted a bright light that blinded us all. I was also affected by it, but I felt my Mark hurt even more as the light spread. It felt like a warning; a sign that maybe Yliaster was way too strong for me and the Signers to handle. But it was just my theory.

I heard Yusei cry out in the background as the light got too bright and swallowed all of us.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I opened my eyes and found myself in a white dimension that looked like the inside of a computer. My Mark had stopped glowing, but I could feel the after-effect in my arm. It was still throbbing a bit, but I could endure it.

I looked around and saw Sherry, Bruno and Yusei as well. They were all looking confused, shocked or surprised to see where we had ended up to.

"Where are we?" Yusei asked.

"And how did we get here?" Bruno added, looking around.

Sherry turned to me for a second. "Your arm's better, Estelle?"

I turned to me and nodded while rubbing my right arm. "Yeah… For now."

I felt goosebumps creeping all over my body when I felt like we were being watched. I looked over my shoulder and saw something in the horizon. I turned my body around and yelped out when I recognized the strange machine thing.

It was…him.

Z-one.

The others followed my way and saw Z-one as well.

"What is that?" Yusei asked.

"No…", I mumbled to myself, feeling my body shake in slight fear.

"Estelle, do you know what that thing is?" Bruno asked.

I just nodded, my eyes never moving from Z-one.

It was then an eye from Z-one looked at us and we all yelled out in shock and pain. I grabbed my head as I felt my brain throbbing so hard that I was afraid it would get out from the cranium.

Suddenly, pictures flew through my head. It showed me the devastation of the future where Z-one came from. The humanity's accelerated evolution led to a society that was cruel, greedy and corrupt. People were running away to save themselves from the Meklord Emperors that destroyed the once glorious New Domino City into ruins. A scientist who researched a way to stop the Meklord Emperors, but all ended up with a massive Zero Reverse that killed the society with a few survivors, including Z-one. I only saw parts of when Z-one took Yusei's form to try inspiring people and show them the light and not holding so much negative feelings that affected the Ener-D reactor and the Planetary Gear.

The next pictures were of how Z-one met up with Antinomy, Paradox and Aporia. Z-one had saved Antinomy from being killed by a Meklord Emperor and convinced him to live in order to save the humanity. Z-one somehow stumbled upon Paradox who joined forces with the duo. And then the trio encountered Aporia in their old age. The four of them made it clearly that their mission was to create a better future, since they were the only human beings left on the planet. The four of them tried one experiment after another to find a solution to restore the world, and while doing that, Z-one had his body mechanized in order to prolong his life while his companions began to fade away.

I saw how Z-one sent the embodiments of Paradox, Antinomy and Aporia to the past, but nothing more.

However, there was one picture that seemed to be off with the others. The picture was of a very old woman who lied in bed and talked to a little boy that was around four years old. The boy looked like a miniature version of Z-one when he was a scientist, but the old woman in the bed… She looked way too old to be just a grandmother. Was she maybe a great-grandmother? She had short white half-wavy hair and blue eyes. She somehow looked familiar to me.

It was then I realized I could actually hear what they were talking about.

"_Granny…_", the little Z-one said.

"_Yes, little one…?_" the old woman asked with a weak smile.

"_Were you just talking to great-grandpa?_"

The old woman chuckled gently. "_Why, yes… I talk to him every day. He is waiting for me…_" Her eyes traveled up to the ceiling. "_Just as he is watching over us… Our family…_"

"_Granny…_", little Z-one said sadly as tears ran down his cheeks.

The old woman smiled weakly again before she pulled out her right arm to wipe off the tears on her great-grandchild. But there was something on her bared arm that made me shocked.

She had the Mark of the Crimson Star! My Mark! Was this woman possibly…me?!

Did that mean that Z-one was going to be my great-grandchild in the future?! And even more, I would return to the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's dimension and marry someone and have a family?!

The shock was overwhelming, but I was able to keep listening at my future self and little Z-one's conversation.

"_Don't be sad, little one…_", the future me said. "_I may soon leave you and the family, but I will always watch over you with great-grandfather…_"

"_Promise?_" little Z-one asked as he grabbed my future self's hand and kept it on his cheek.

The future me nodded with her smile still on her lips. "_I promise… If you can promise me something…_"

Little Z-one nodded determinedly. "_Anything._"

The future me moved her hand and rubbed little Z-one's head. "_As you might be aware of; your great-grandfather made sure to protect the future by developing the computer program Fortune. The program assimilated the lifeline of New Domino City, by linking it with other cities, with our city becoming the central pillar. Thanks to it, the Ener-D would never go out of control and kept the future safe from being ruined…_"

Little Z-one nodded, "_Yeah, I know. The program is still ongoing and is keeping us all safe._"

Hold on a second…! Did my future self say the computer program Fortune? I remembered the info I read about Yusei in my dimension and there was something mentioned in the last part of his biography that he developed something named Fortune…

No freaking way!

Did this mean that my future self's husband was going to be Yusei?!

"_I want you to make the world a better place by keeping the future safe…_", my future self said. "_Can you promise me, Zero…?_"

It was then the pictures disappeared and my head throbbed so hard that I lost consciousness.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I groaned as I felt myself wake up from the dreamless nap. I opened my eyes and met the unconscious face of Yusei's. We were about five centimeters from each other. I blushed when I saw how close we were, so I moved away a bit before I sat up, supporting myself on the elbows.

I looked around and saw Bruno and Elsworth, the butler was awake and standing, with an unconscious Sherry in his arms. I turned a bit and saw the lights of the buildings of New Domino City, the sea separating us from where we were. I realized we had been transported to the outskirt of the city.

"You're awake, mademoiselle", Elsworth said as I stood up on my feet.

I turned to Elsworth and nodded. "Yeah…" I rubbed my head, feeling my brain throb a bit. "Are you and Sherry okay?"

Elsworth nodded, "I believe so." He cast a slight worried glance at the blonde woman in his arms.

I looked at myself and dusted off the dirt on my clothes when I heard Yusei and Bruno groaning, telling me they were waking up. I looked down and saw how the two young men woke up and got slowly up on their feet.

"Whoa, is that…?" Bruno began asking in surprise when he saw the city.

"New Domino City, yes", Elsworth confirmed.

"Elsworth, tell me you know what's going on", Yusei told him.

"No… There was a blast back at the lab and I was knocked out", Elsworth replied. "When I came to, we were all just lying here." Sherry was mumbling something in her sleep. "Thank you for your help. If we didn't go after Sherry when we did, who knows how worse things could have turned out."

I stepped over to Elsworth and looked at Sherry. She seemed to struggle in her sleep, like she was facing a nightmare.

"No…", she murmured sadly.

I could sense how Yusei and Bruno stepped closer to me to watch the blonde woman, both of them probably worried about her.

Tears collected on her eyelids before a tear ran down her cheek. "Mother… Father…"

I couldn't help but feel sad for her. I grabbed her left hand that was dangling and placed it on her stomach to make things more comfortable for her. I then placed my hand onto her cheek and wiped off the strayed tear. I kept the hand on her cheek before I removed it and looked up at her butler.

"Elsworth…", I said, getting his attention. "If Sherry ever needs to talk to someone… Tell her that she can always turn to me." Elsworth blinked once, keeping his poker face. "I want to help her as much as I can."

Elsworth remained quiet before he nodded. "Very well. I will pass on the message to her."

With that said, the butler bowed lightly and walked away with Sherry in his arms.

"This is strange", Yusei suddenly spoke up, getting Bruno and my attention. "How'd we get away from whatever that creature was back in that weird room?"

"I don't know", Bruno shook his head. "But I'd say the most important thing is that we did manage to escape from him."

"Him?" Yusei questioned.

I remained quiet as I looked at New Domino City. The pictures I saw before were so vivid. They must have been Z-one's memories, but… Why did he even show me them? Did he try telling me something? I felt like I got a thousand of more questions than when I arrived to this dimension.

I snapped out of it when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to the left and saw Yusei's slight worried face.

"Are you okay, Estelle?" he asked gently.

I hesitated a bit before I looked down on the ground. "Yeah…"

"Do you know what that thing was?" Yusei continued asking.

I just nodded, never looking up.

Yusei didn't ask more questions. He must have understood that I wouldn't tell him any details because of the chain of events.

The three of us stood there, watching New Domino city. I was certain we all had a nagging feeling about the World Racing Grand Prix and Yliaster. Who knew what would happen and if there were going to be changes, like with many cases that never happened in the anime version.

Only time could tell, and the time was slowly coming.


	67. Keeping a Promise

**Am I the only one who liked Crow's former voice actor better than the new one? Clay Adams's voice was different and very unique; perfect for a birdbrain like Crow.**

**I didn't like how they changed so much in Episode 94 and 95 of the English version, so I'll focus on the Japanese version for scenery and plot, but my main focus on dialogue is still on the English one. However, there will be few parts when I'll use the translated Japanese dialogue.**

**The end of the chapter will be a bit rushed and not so detailed, and I'm sorry for that. I wanted to finish the chapter for the two year anniversary for this fanfic.**

**Speaking of which, I'm also celebrating the two year anniversary by creating a Group on DeviantArt for the fanfic. I will have it open and active soon, but I'll post an Author's Note here and tell you guys the name of the Group, and if you have an account on DA and you like my fanfic, feel free to join. :)**

**The new cover of the fanfic is made by my good friend **_**Akane Raikou**_**. She's a very talented artist, and you can find her both here on FanFiction and on DeviantArt with the same username.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 67: Keeping a Promise**

I was still thinking about the memories that seemed to belong to Z-one, but the memory that bugged me the most was of the old future me and little Z-one. That memory was so different compared to those that showed the destruction of New Domino City. Was it possible that memory wanted to tell me there would be a difference in the future if my friends and I played our cards right? No puns intended.

I was so deep in my thoughts that I got startled when Jack called my name. I blinked a couple of times to adjust my eyes and looked around. I was sitting outside of the cafeteria with Jack. His coffee had run out yesterday, so he "invited" me to the cafeteria to have a drink while he could "order" what kind of coffee he wanted me to make.

"Well?" Jack asked with a frown. "Did you get it all?"

I looked down at the notebook I had on my lap while holding a pencil in my right hand. I checked quickly the list before I nodded. "Yep. Everything is here."

Jack nodded with his arms crossed. "Good. I expect to get the goods this weekend."

Today was a Wednesday, so it was possible that I could make the coffee. "I'll try my best. But if I'm not done with everything, then I'll deliver what I've made to you."

"Agreed", Jack said. "After all, you're busy with Martha's daycare, practicing with your magic and skills, and whatever else."

"This is life, Jack", I nodded. "It will always be busy with things that are necessary."

It was quite rare for me to be alone with Jack, even for a short moment. I was usually around Yusei since everyone else was busy. I did hang out with Akiza alone in the shopping malls or just spend some time in her home with Dueling or whatever girls like to do.

Our moment was broken when we heard a voice call our names.

"Jacky! Estelle!"

I turned to the right and saw Carly running over to us. I did spot a small smile on Jack's lips before they formed into his usual poker face.

"Hi, Carly", I greeted the journalist as she joined us. "It's been a while."

"It surely has", Carly nodded excitedly.

"Did you need something, Carly?" Jack asked with a tiny hint of joy in his voice.

Was he expecting some kind of investigation that Carly needed help with? Didn't it mean he just wanted to spend more time with her? Hmm… My Cupid side started coming up with new ideas.

"Nothing really", Carly shook her head. "I was around these paths, so I decided to check on you, Jack."

"Did you now…", Jack said in a low voice, sounding a bit disappointed.

I hid my chuckle by drinking the last drops of my tea. I enjoyed the fruit taste of the liquid with the perfect sweetness that I loved. I licked my lips lightly before I placed the cup on the table.

"Guys, have you heard about the school cultural festival in Duel Academy?" Carly asked us.

"School cultural festival?" Jack said in slight confusion.

I nodded, "Yes, I've heard from Akiza and the twins. They asked me to visit them this Sunday when the cultural festival is open for the public."

"I actually gained permission to enter the school premises to write an article about the cultural festival!" Carly told us.

Both Jack and I looked at her in disbelief.

"No way…", Jack almost spilled his coffee on himself, but angled the cup back properly.

"How were you able to do that?" I asked.

Carly giggled while she adjusted her glasses. "Well… Thanks to my connections, I was able to talk to the chancellor and asked for his permission to come on Friday and visit Duel Academy to look around, take photos and interview some classes."

"Should I ask about your connections?" I asked, acting a bit scared to add in the mood.

"Nope!" Carly giggled. "Anyway, if I keep working just as hard as I do, I might be able to leave my current work and find a more decent job in the real newspaper."

"I agree on that", Jack nodded. "You're too good to be working for a scandal magazine."

Carly and I turned our heads at Jack, looking at him in slight surprise. Neither of us had expected to hear such words coming out from his mouth.

Jack looked at us weirdly. "What?"

"Oh, Jacky!" Carly's eyes got a bit wet while her cheeks turned pink. "You care about me!" She launched herself onto Jack and wrapped her arms around his abdomen, cuddling onto his chest.

Jack blushed hard as he used his free hand to remove the cuddling Carly while making sure he wouldn't spill his coffee. "H-Hey, Carly! Get off me!"

I chuckled at the sight before I noticed something by the corner of my right eye. I turned to the right and spotted Yusei heading towards the Zora's house with two cardboard boxes that looked heavy.

I quickly put the money for the tea on the table next to my empty cup of tea and left the two lovebirds alone. I jogged over to Yusei, feeling happy inside whenever I saw him.

"Yusei!" I called his name.

Yusei stopped walking and looked over his shoulder. His slight poker face turned into a soft smile when he saw me. "Estelle. I thought you were with Jack?"

I shook my head once I reached him. "I was, but Carly appeared and let's just say I didn't want to be the third wheel."

Yusei turned to the cafeteria and let out a soft chuckle when he saw the commotion. "I can see why."

"Do you need help to carry these boxes?" I asked while I grabbed the one on top of the box that Yusei held.

Yusei turned back to me, looking a bit hesitantly. "Isn't it too heavy for you?"

I gave him a small smile. "Not at all. Remember that I've been training for a long time now, so my muscles have become stronger."

Yusei's eyes softened. "Then I'd appreciate your help."

We walked down the ramp that led to the garage that was open. We stepped inside and spotted Bruno working on Crow's Duel Runner. He had a laptop and wires connected to the Blackbird Duel Runner and typed away like crazy. Yusei and I didn't want to interrupt him, so we put away the items that were in the boxes on the shelves that were in front of the stairs that led to the front door.

Once we put away the last thing, we heard Bruno groan in defeat. Yusei walked over to the blue-haired man with me following him.

"What's up, Bruno?" Yusei asked.

"Well, Crow's Duel Runner just isn't running right", Bruno replied.

"Do you have any idea why?" Yusei replied.

Bruno pointed at one point of the blueprint of Crow's Duel Runner on the laptop's screen. "I think the problem is coming from this one part."

Yusei leant down a bit to take a closer look. "Where'd that come from?"

I also leant a bit closer to check which part of the Duel Runner was wrong. But a voice in the back of my head told me that something big was coming. The problem was I had forgotten what it could be.

I heard someone yawn loudly in the background before that yawn was replaced by a shout. "Hey, what're you doin'?!"

That someone was Crow.

Crow ran down to us, looking very panicked and worried about his Duel Runner. "Why'd you always have to mess with _my_ Duel Runner?!"

"I'll tell you why, Crow", Bruno replied. "Because your Duel Runner is the only one with this mysterious glitch that none of us can figure out."

"What do you mean glitch?" Crow said in surprise as he joined us by the laptop.

"There's this one part that keeps bugging out, but I can't seem to access it", Bruno explained, showing Crow the problem.

"Can't you just let it be?" Crow sighed in defeat. "I don't want you to end up messing things up more. That Runner is my baby! I depend on her!"

What was it with boys and men calling their rides "baby" and all? Sometimes I just couldn't understand the opposite sex.

"We know, Crow", Yusei nodded before a small mischievous look appeared on his face. "Now then, Bruno, hand me the hammer, the flame torch, and, ooh, the chainsaw. We'll get to the bottom of this in one way or another."

Crow just sighed loudly in the background.

"Just don't turn this into a horror movie or else I'm out of here", I said sarcastically before pushing Yusei's shoulder lightly, seeing him smirk. "Since when did you become so evil, Yusei?"

"Evil? I'm not evil", Yusei replied playfully. "That job is for Yliaster."

"Excuse us, everyone", a familiar voice called.

Only Crow and I looked up to see Trudge and Mina by the entrance of the garage. Both of them had a slight concern expression on their faces.

"Hey, Trudge, Mina", Crow greeted. "What's up?"

"You got a minute to talk outside, Crow?" Trudge asked, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder.

"And we'd like you to join us, Estelle", Mina added. "It's kinda important."

Both Crow and I exchanged confused glances before we followed the adults out while Bruno and Yusei started working on the Blackbird Duel Runner.

Crow leant against a lamppost while Mina and I sat on a bench and Trudge stood by a wall. The mood was feeling a bit down and worrisome.

"So what's it about, Trudge?" Crow asked.

"It's about an old friend of yours", Trudge replied. "Robert Pearson."

"Hey! How in the world did you know I was friends with Pearson?!" Crow asked a bit harsh.

"Did you think I didn't know?" Trudge replied calmly. "My jurisdiction was in Satellite, you know."

"But… Why now?" Crow wondered.

I noticed a sad glance in his eyes. I really wished I could remember more about this… But something told me it was connected to Crow's Signer Dragon Black-Winged Dragon.

Speaking of which, wasn't he supposed to obtain that card soon?

"We have something we want to ask you regarding Pearson's death", Mina told him.

This Pearson person was dead? Was he also someone really close to Crow?

"Something you want to ask?" Crow wondered.

"Yes", Mina nodded. "We just recently discovered that before the accident occurred, Pearson was Dueling someone…" She stood up and walked over to Crow with a photo in her hand. "And this is the card his opponent was using."

I walked over to Crow and Mina as the woman handed him the photo. I stood next to Crow and looked at the photo.

The photo showed us a Synchro Monster card. The Monster looked like the combination of a ghost and a fiend Monster that was clad in a black costume with cape and tall hat. It had a cane in its hand that had a skull as knob.

"Blood Mefist…", I read the card's name.

"We're trying to figure out who it belongs to", Trudge continued explaining. "Any ideas?"

"Sorry, I'm afraid not", Crow confessed. "I've never seen this card before in my life."

Trudge turned to me. "I know you've seen a lot back in your dimension, but… Perhaps you might know the owner of the card?"

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, but I don't know who the user is. I've never come this far with watching the anime."

"I see…", Trudge let out a small defeated sigh, scratching the back of his head.

"You see, a few years back, they tried developing cards that had more than just visional effects", Mina began explaining. "It worked. Only they soon found the new effects were dangerous and dealt actual damage to Duelists."

"Real damage?" Crow said in disbelief.

"You mean, without being a psychic Duelist like Akiza?" I asked.

Mina nodded to answer my question. "Naturally, production of these cards stopped immediately. However, there were a few prototypes already released to the Dueling public that are still unaccounted for. Blood Mefist is one of them." She turned to me with a slight worried expression. "And that includes your Star Eater, Estelle."

I was taken back by the news. "What? My Star Eater is one of those cards?" Once I got over the shock, I pulled out my Deck and picked up Star Eater's card.

It was hard for me to believe that Star Eater was one of those dangerous cards. But I didn't recall that he ever did actual damage during a Duel. Sure, during the Duel with Jack in the Fortune Cup was an exception because my dragon didn't end up destroying the dome and didn't kill Jack. Maybe it was to do that I was the Crimson Star Priestess and was able to control the Duel Monsters so they wouldn't cause a mess?

Or… What if emotions played a huge role in these cards? I thought back to the Fortune Cup once again when Akiza Dueled Sir Randsborg and Yusei. The destruction that her Duel Monsters caused was whenever she lost control of her emotions and turned into an emotional wreck.

Crow turned his eyes back on the photo. "Wait… So, then you're telling me Robert Pearson died because of this card?!" He held back a growl as he bit his lower lip.

"Yes, Crow. I'm afraid that's precisely what Mina and I are saying", Trudge said, getting Crow's attention. "Which means the sooner we know who the owner of this highly dangerous and one-of-a-kind card is, the sooner we can identify your friend Robert Pearson's murderer."

Crow glanced back at the photo with a determined gleam in his eyes. "And the sooner we'll be able to serve justice."

Trudge and Mina left us with their Sector Security car, but Crow and I remained outside to take in the new information. The adults allowed Crow to keep the photo of Blood Mefist.

"What will you do, Crow?" I asked him.

Crow took one last look on the photo before he put it in a pocket of his vest. "Well, I'll start the investigation by visiting another old friend of mine."

I looked a bit confused. "Another old friend of yours?"

Crow nodded, "Uh-huh! His name is Bolton. He used to be best friends with Robert Pearson back in Satellite while I was a teenager. It's been a long time since I talked to him, but it's always a good start to talk to old friends."

"Bolton…", I mumbled lowly as I recalled the name. "Isn't the Bolton Building of Bargains company connected to him?"

"Yep!" Crow nodded. "Apparently, Bolton is the president of the company that is one of the sponsors of the WRGP. I need to head over to the company and talk to him right away!" With that said, Crow turned around and rushed to the garage.

I stayed behind to have some alone moment and think about the upcoming events. It was now early June and also very soon one year anniversary for me being in this dimension. Time sure flew by quickly.

But the biggest issues were the WRGP and Yliaster. Two big burdens for the Signers to carry on their shoulders. Personally, I didn't think it felt right to them. Even if they were chosen by the Crimson Dragon to protect the world from the evil danger, they still had the rights to be like anyone else with the hopes and dreams and wills to participate in a big contest.

I let out a soft sigh through my nose and looked up at the blue sky, feeling the wind blow by. Now when I thought about Yliaster, it had been quite a while since the Three Pure Nobles had tried making a move. Were they waiting for the WRGP and only then they would appear again?

If that was so, then I would take care of Yliaster all alone. I didn't want the Signers to lose their concentration on the WRGP. Plus I didn't want to see them getting hurt like all those few times that had already happened.

I was willing to carry on the biggest burden and fight alone against the evil to keep New Domino City and the rest of this dimension safe. I knew I had plans to help the Signers to achieve the next step of their training by fusing with their Signer Dragons, but I would cancel it. The Signers knew the basics, but if they wanted to continue practicing, then I would help them. But _ONLY_ if they wanted to. I didn't want to force them anymore.

Plus I would return to my dimension shortly after the WRGP, so if I spent less time with the Signers, and everyone else, then my departure wouldn't hurt them so much. It would hurt more for me to slowly separate myself from my friends, but it was worth it to make sure they wouldn't carry a piece of sadness in the place of their hearts where I used to belong.

I felt a tear run down my cheek, but I wiped it off before it made it down to my jaw. I took a deep breath and felt determination fill my soul.

That was the day when I made a promise that I would keep everyone safe and fight on until my heart would no longer beat and every single blood would leave my body.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I was on my way back to Martha's house and carried a gym bag after I had been in the gym to practice on some moves that I didn't get the hangs on it. I recalled last night when I told Martha about my plans and she seemed to understand my reasons why. She promised she wouldn't tell the boys, meaning Yusei, Jack and Crow, about my plans to slowly put a distance between me and the Signers.

I looked up and saw the Satellite Trio had come to visit their childhood house this Thursday. Jack and Yusei were with the children that Crow had looked after, playing with them. However, the birdbrain stood by his Duel Runner and stared at something on it.

I walked over to Crow, feeling like he had to talk to someone about his thoughts. Sure, I know I promised myself to put some space between my friends, but when someone was emotionally upset I just couldn't ignore them.

"Crow?" I called his name.

Crow looked up, snapping out of his trance, and turned to me. "Oh… Hey, Estelle."

I stood next to him, glancing down at his Duel Runner. On the monitor lied the photo of Blood Mefist. "Is everything okay, Crow? Did you get to talk to Bolton yesterday?" I asked.

"Well… Kinda", Crow confessed, looking a bit down.

"Do you want to talk about your feelings?" I asked kindly.

Crow stayed quiet before he nodded lightly. "As you might know, Pearson entrusted me with the Blackbird before he passed away. That happened before Kalin was arrested."

I blinked confusedly. "You got your Duel Runner before the Enforcers truly split up?"

Crow nodded, "I lost my goal and was wondering around meaninglessly. Then one day…" He told me the details about how Pearson and his companion Bolton appeared one day to serve justice against two people who had kicked out an employee in a factory and Crow had been looking after that man's son and the child's friends. "That is how I met Robert Pearson. Pearson took care of children in Satellite like I did, but he worked to allow children to realize their full potential. I believed this too. I helped Pearson's research. Pearson gave me the hope to live on again."

I felt my respect for Pearson growing even stronger. By the way Crow told me about him, Pearson was very dedicated to help children and make sure to reveal their strong sides and never give up on themselves, despite living during harsh circumstances when the Satellite used to be a trash island.

"I enjoyed helping Pearson's research; an engine with Satellite parts that would shock people in the city", a soft smile appeared on Crow's lips. "But… That day…" His small smile got replaced with a sad expression. "After Pearson died, I tried my best to take care of those kids like he wanted, even if I had to beg, borrow or steal." I saw how he tried to hold back his tears as his emotions grew bigger inside. "Maybe Bolton is right. I should just forget the past. After all, everything else he's done has been right. Think about it… He actually followed through with Pearson's plan and now makes Duel Runners for a living. He's kept Pearson's dreams alive better than I have…!" He placed his fist on the Duel Runner and I saw how he clenched it.

I let out a soft sigh, but I could just smile, thinking how stupid Crow was. Wasn't he able to see that he had been able to carry on Pearson's will?

"You're a big idiot, Crow", I told him.

Crow looked surprised at my sentence.

"Estelle's right", Yusei spoke up as he joined us.

Crow turned to Yusei. "Yusei…?"

Yusei smiled lightly. "You just said it yourself. You've taken care of the kids."

"I have…?" Crow questioned in disbelief.

"Crow!" the children shouted.

The three of us turned to the small group of children that Jack stood next to.

"What'cha doin' over there?!" Ginga said.

"Come on over and play with us!" Daichi called.

"Yeah, you're fun!" Kokoro waved her hand to the birdbrain.

"Sure, Crow, it may not have been easy, but just check out the smiles on their faces", Yusei said with a soft smile. "You've done a great job taking care of those kids."

"Just because someone else has done a job that seems to shine brighter doesn't mean that your job has been nothing", I said. "Bolton carried out Pearson's will to make Duel Runners, but you carried out the will to look after the children. The next generation. And to me, that is something much valuable than creating machines that doesn't express emotions." I turned to Crow. "You are these children's guiding star, Crow. You've given them the smiles they are carrying because of your own efforts. Let them be your motivation whenever you feel down. Let them remind you that Pearson is right now very proud of you."

"Exactly", Yusei nodded in agreement. "So there's no reason to think that Bolton's anymore right about something than you are."

"Maybe so…", Crow mumbled before a determined glance appeared in his eyes. "I'll accept Bolton's challenge and I _will_ find out the truth!"

I nodded with a small smile. "That's the spirit, Crow. Now, hurry and get over to the children before we have to drag you over there."

Crow let out a small laugh with his usual smile and walked over to the children. Yusei and I watched him interact with them before they started playing tag.

"He's back to his old self now", I said.

"Yeah…", Yusei nodded before he turned to me. "Where've you been?"

"I was in the gym for some extra training", I replied before I walked to Martha's house, leaving Yusei behind.

It was a cold move, yes, but I had to.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV**

That was weird of Estelle. She wouldn't just walk away like that after I asked her a question. Was she in a bad mood? Well, if so, then it would be best to leave her alone for a bit and then see if she would be in a better mood.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

One hour after the Satellite Trio left, I gathered the children in the dining room with paper sheets and color crayons.

"Children, Crow is going to Duel Bolton tomorrow because he's looking for some answers", I told them.

"Answers for what?" Kokoro wondered.

"For the truth of Pearson's death", I replied.

The mood for the children dropped when I mentioned Pearson's name. I felt a bit bad for reminding them about their father-like figure, but the children had to know the truth.

"Therefore, we're going to surprise Crow by joining up at the Turbo Duel course and cheer on him", I told them, bringing back their good mood. "But in order to do that, we need some drawings of Crow to show we are his supporters, like in a soccer match."

"I got it!" Hikari smiled as she grabbed an orange crayon. "I'm going to draw Crow's face!"

"And I'm going to draw Crow's Blackwings!" Taiga said while grabbing a few crayons.

"And I'll do his Duel Runner!" Kokoro said and grabbed a black crayon and a yellow crayon.

The children began making their drawings on the dining table. While they did that, I spoke to Martha about how I could transport the children to the Turbo Duel course.

"Blister can drive them once they come here after school", Martha said. "He said the bus he found has been fixed, so you can use it as transport."

"That sounds perfect", I nodded. "I'll ask Blister. Do you think you can watch over the children during the short moment?"

"But of course, Estelle", Martha smiled.

I smiled and walked up to Blister's room where the cowboy was doing some work. When I told him about the Turbo Duel tomorrow, he agreed on driving the children and me.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

We had to rush a bit the next day since the children got a bit late after school, but Blister and I had been prepared for it. The cowboy drove the bus to the Turbo Duel course that Bolton owned and we gained access to enter the control tower next to the course. Bruno met us by the entrance and guided us up to the area where Yusei and Jack were watching the Turbo Duel. There were also a few holographic screens that could show us close-up scenes from the Turbo Duel course.

Bolton had Blood Mefist out, revealing that he was Robert Pearson's murderer, and Crow was struggling on how to defeat the Synchro Monster.

Bruno walked up to a small control center and activated a microphone, allowing Ginga to speak to Crow by the loudspeakers.

"Crow! Up here! In the control tower!" Ginga said.

We saw how Crow looked up and spotted the rest of the children standing next to Yusei and Jack, holding their drawings they had made yesterday.

"Just wanted to let you know, all us kids are behind ya!" Ginga added.

The other children cheered for Crow, chanting his name and telling him to not give up.

I stepped up to Ginga and Bruno, telling them I wanted to talk to Crow as well. Ginga stepped aside and let me sit down in front of the microphone.

"Crow, remember what I told you yesterday?" I began. "About the children being your motivation and you are their guiding star? You've raised these five children with something that connects every living being; love. Your love for them helped them to carry on with their lives, just like a flock of birds or crows. They are part of your Blackwing family, just like your Duel Monsters, and that makes you their protector, like Robert Pearson and his Synchro Monster. Don't give up, no matter what you are facing. After all, the intelligence of the crows is extraordinary, like you. Despite that you sometimes can act like a birdbrain." That caused the children to laugh and I couldn't help but smile very lightly when I saw Crow's shocking expression on the holographic screen. "So don't hold yourself back and go for it. Your own Blackwing flock is right here for you! Keep protecting them with your love!"

Crow's shocking expression turned into a determined one. He mumbled something with his lips, but I could read them easily.

_Thanks, guys._

My Mark suddenly started glowing just as I stood up from the chair. Then the blueprint of Crow's Duel Runner appeared on the screen of the control center with a password before it revealed a hidden slot where the card of Black-Winged Dragon had been hiding this whole time!

"Whoa! What? It's a card!" Bruno said out loud.

Yusei heard him and turned around to ask before every screen in the control tower showed the very same screen with the Black-Winged Dragon card on.

"What's happening?" Yusei asked before he took a closer look at the card. "Wait… No way! Is that…?!"

"Pearson's Black-Winged Dragon", I ended the sentence. "He passed it on to Crow along with his Deck and Duel Runner, but it seems he wanted Crow to get the card during a specific time when it was meant to protect the most precious jewels ever. The children."

Crow summoned out Blackwing - Bora the Spear and tuned it with Blackwing - Kochi the Daybreak to Synchro summon Black-Winged Dragon. When Black-Winged Dragon appeared with a roar, my Mark glowed even brighter along with Yusei and Jack's Marks.

"My Mark!" Yusei exclaimed in surprise as he looked at his glowing Mark.

"Mine too!" Jack added before he looked at the holographic screen that now showed Black-Winged Dragon. "Could this be the Signers' fifth dragon?"

I stepped up to the boys while keeping my eyes on the Turbo Duel course, looking at the new Synchro Monster. "Yes, it is." I felt Yusei and Jack's eyes on me. "But Black-Winged Dragon was not part of the Earthbound Immortal war. I don't know why, but I know for certain since I remember reading about it in my dimension."

No one asked more questions since they were now focusing on the Turbo Duel.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Crow ended up winning against Bolton with his nice combo included Black-Winged Dragon and Blackwing - Zephyros the Elite's special abilities and a Trap card. I had a hard time at first to follow the progress, but I was able to keep up when I realized how Bolton's Blood Mefist's special ability ended up being his knockout.

Bolton turned himself in to Sector Security when Mina and Trudge arrived after a quick phone call. Bruno had recorded the whole Turbo Duel and showed the evidence that Bolton had the Blood Mefist card, so the case of who Robert Pearson's murderer was had now been closed.

I followed Jack, Yusei and Crow to a cemetery in Satellite where Robert Pearson's grave was, and it was actually a very peaceful place. It was next to the sea with seagulls flying in the air and greenery added more of the calm atmosphere.

Crow knelt in front of Pearson's grave with Black-Winged Dragon's card in his hand. "Pearson… Bolton turned himself in. Your feelings have finally reached him." He held up the card to look at it. "Black-Winged Dragon… I'll carry on your will!" He clenched the card lightly as he held back his tears.

I knelt down next to Crow and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Crow… Even if Pearson is not with us anymore physically, he's with us spiritually."

Crow nodded lightly. "I know…"

"You know, back in Sweden…", I began gently. "Ravens are held to be the ghosts of murdered men."

I heard Yusei and Jack release small gasps of surprise as Crow stopped shaking and turned to me with widen and glassy eyes.

I turned my eyes on Black-Winged Dragon and traced gently my point finger on it. "So you will not only carry on Pearson's will with this card but also his spirit. Black-Winged Dragon symbolizes him."

Crow looked at the card before tears ran down his cheeks. He didn't even try holding them back. He kept mumbling Pearson's name as he placed his head on my right shoulder.

I closed my eyes and leant my head on his, comforting him like a big sister as he poured out his tears and sorrow while Yusei and Jack remained silent.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**The myth about the ravens in Sweden is true. I've heard about it when I was a little girl and I looked it up on Wikipedia.**

**The next chapter will be a made-up one, but after that the WRGP will officially begin.**


	68. Cultural Festival

**This chapter is a made-up, inspired by the manga V.B. Rose and the chapters 30 and 31. I hope you'll enjoy it. ;)**

**A private note to the guest who keeps coming with different ideas on how to get Estelle and Yusei together; I already have plans for that. Things between them will get more serious by the Ark Cradle arc, so you'll have to wait for that. But still, thank you for your ideas.**

**And another note to all of you readers, in case you missed the last Author's Note; I've started a Group on DeviantArt that is dedicated to this fanfic. It's called YGO-5Ds-Crimson-Star. If you're a member on DA, feel free to join. :)**

**P.S. You can find the link of Estelle's outfit in this chapter on my profile.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 68: Cultural Festival**

Sunday arrived and that meant a visit in Duel Academy's cultural festival. Yusei and Bruno decided to attend as well with me while Jack and Crow were busy with something else. Crow said he had some extra work, on a weekend. Jack said he was meeting someone important who I had a feeling was Carly.

Today I had another outfit than my usual one. I was dressed in a magenta long-sleeved top that revealed my collarbones, silver necklace, shoulders and the black straps of my bra, with a six-pointed star on the chest, jeans skirt that reached almost down to my knees, dark grey stockings that reached up to above the knees, and dark blue flat shoes. I had a black fanny pack around my waist where I kept my cell phone, wallet, Deck and other necessary things. I even made a change with my hair. I used a dark blue hair clip in the shape of a ribbon to tie up my hair into a half-ponytail to reveal my ears.

I held a pamphlet in my hand about the building where the classes were and what kind of shops they were doing. I had been looking forward to see a real Japanese cultural festival for a long time.

"This is going to be interesting", I said as I looked for Akiza's classroom on the pamphlet.

"It's a bit noisy with all the students and visitors, but it still hold a comfortable aura", Bruno commented.

"It's a nice change", Yusei added. "Crow, Jack and I were homeschooled, so I never got to visit a school…except that time with Heitmann."

Bruno turned to me. "How were the cultural festivals back in your country, Estelle?"

I let out a soft sigh. "From what I can remember… There were barely any festivals or big events in high school."

"Seriously?" Bruno said in surprise.

I nodded, "Yep. The only thing the Swedish school was focusing on was the education, while they never did their job."

"What do you mean?" Yusei asked.

I let out another soft sigh. "It's a long and complicated story. But I was homeschooled since middle school, so I can't say I know details."

"I see", Yusei said.

I returned my attention back on the pamphlet, trying to find classroom 12-A, but it was a bit difficult. While I was eyeing the pamphlet, I couldn't help but overhear whispering comments around me, mainly female voices.

"Isn't that man the last year's Fortune Cup's Runner-up Yusei Fudo?"

"Yes, I think so."

"He's actually very handsome."

"The blue-haired man is tall, but he's so cute."

"I'd like to have him as my boyfriend."

I looked up from the pamphlet and spied several Duel Academy female students and female citizens eyeing Yusei and Bruno with goo-goo eyes.

It was a big surprise for me. I had never thought that Yusei could capture girls' attentions with his looks, despite his criminal mark. I could understand the girls falling for Bruno since he had cute features, but Yusei? So I wasn't the only one who thought Yusei was handsome.

Wait a minute… What was this stinging feeling in my heart when I saw girls looking at Yusei? Was I…jealous?

No, that was ridiculous!

I cast my eyes on the pamphlet and finally found classroom 12-A. I looked at the spot where the young men and I were currently at and found the way to get to the classroom. Back when I was a child and my parents visited zoos, I was always in charge for the map, and I could easily direct us to the other side of the zoo and even find the way out.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Yusei couldn't help but stare at Estelle every once in a while. She looked very pretty with her hair tied up a bit and wearing different clothes. She looked like a real young woman than her usual tomboy style. But Yusei didn't complain. He liked seeing Estelle in whatever outfit she was wearing, as long as it suited her.

The only thing Yusei didn't like was she was getting every Duel Academy male students and male citizens, both children and adults. And not only had the male gender been captured by Estelle's natural beauty. Even the female students and young citizens were staring at her.

The raven-haired man crossed his arms to maintain his anger that was slowly building up. Bruno could tell what was going on with Yusei and he chuckled at his roommate.

"Okay, you two", Estelle spoke up, getting the two men's attention. "I found out where Akiza's classroom is now."

"Lead the way, Estelle", Bruno smiled innocently.

Estelle looked up and nodded, but she saw how Yusei looked a bit angry. Maybe it was her imagination. She ignored it and walked up ahead with the two young men behind her.

Bruno leant closer to Yusei to whisper. "You're actually very obvious in the way you're looking at the boys around here."

Yusei cast a poker glance at Bruno. "What do you mean?"

Bruno groaned, "Come on, Yusei. You're jealous because the other men find Estelle attractive. If this keeps up, you might end up being possessive, like Jack with his coffee."

Yusei decided to ignore the comment, but he knew Bruno was right. He had to watch it or else he would be just as possessive as Jack.

"What's Akiza's class doing again?" Yusei asked to focus on something else.

"She said they're running a café", Estelle replied. "We can get something to eat there."

"Sounds good", Bruno nodded.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

We found Akiza's classroom and saw there were magenta curtains set up by the doorway.

"Here we are", I said with a soft smile before I stepped inside.

The classroom had a casual feeling with students dressed in male waiter costumes and female waitress costumes. The tables were decorated with different colored tablecloths and had a candlestick in the middle.

I looked around and spotted Akiza. "Akiza!"

Said girl turned around and smiled widely when she saw me. "Estelle!" She walked up to me and the boys. "Welcome. Come on in."

I took a closer look at her outfit. Her waitress dress was black and tied by the back of her neck, and it reached down to the middle of her thighs. She had a white long-sleeved shirt underneath and a pair of black flat shoes.

"Isn't the outfit a bit too short?" I asked Akiza.

Akiza nodded, "Yes, but I was outvoted on the choice of outfits." She turned on her soft smile. "I'll take you to your table. The variety's limited, but all the food's good."

"That's fine", I replied gently.

I saw from the corner of my eyes how Akiza's classmates, both boys and girls, stared at me and the boys. I could even some of their whispering from the booth that served as kitchen.

Akiza turned to Yusei and Bruno and gave them a smile as well. "Welcome to our café, Yusei and Bruno. Bon appétit!"

"I barely ate anything this morning, so I can probably eat a whole chicken right now", Bruno said with a sheepish smile.

"Sadly, we don't serve dishes with chicken, but I'm sure you can find something else appetizing", Akiza replied.

She led us to a table with four chairs. Yusei sat next to my right while Bruno sat across from him.

Akiza handed Bruno the menu. "Here's the menu. Call for one of the male waiters to take your orders." She bowed lightly and returned to her duty to welcome other visitors.

Bruno looked through the menu and nodded to himself, probably choosing what he was getting. He passed the menu to Yusei who looked at it with serious eyes.

I couldn't help but let my thoughts fly in different direction. I was going to tell the whole group just before the WRGP that all the training and practice was over. The Signers and Bruno should focus on having a "normal" life and entering the WRGP like any other ordinary team.

I snapped out of it when I felt Yusei slap the menu against my face. "Hey, Estelle, what are you getting?"

I blinked my eyes and recovered from the small surprise before I grabbed the menu. "Yusei, menus aren't for slapping people with."

Yusei gave me an amused and…flirty smile. "Hm?"

My heart skipped a beat when I saw Yusei having the flirty smile. That wasn't like him. But… What if he was just having fun instead of thinking about the Duel Runners and engines for a change?

I looked through the menu and made my choice. "I'll take the pancake set."

Bruno turned his eyes on a waiter and raised his hand. "Excuse me, can you take our order, please?"

The waiter walked over to us with a notepad and pencil in his hands. We told him our order and he said the food would come in a couple of minutes.

"Welcome to the Duel Academy again, Estelle", a familiar voice spoke up.

I looked up and saw Laila standing by our table. She was dressed in a white sailor outfit with a long dark blue skirt that reached to her knees. She was wearing long black and white stripped stockings, a white bonnet and white shoes.

"Laila", I smiled. "It's a cute outfit."

Laila giggled, "It's our class costume. We're hosting games."

"We were thinking about heading over there when Akiza and the rest switch shifts", I told her.

"Please do!" Laila smiled widely. "The twins and the others are waiting for you."

"But… How did you know that we were here?" Yusei asked.

"Akiza texted the twins and the twins told me", Laila replied.

"She's like a little chicken that follows the mother hen", Akiza suddenly spoke up.

I turned around and saw the young woman standing by our table with a tray that held our order.

"I'm not following Estelle all around", Laila defended.

"But you're one of her fans", Akiza pointed out as she served my pancakes and orange juice. "Here you go, Estelle."

"Thank you", I nodded with a small smile.

Akiza served Yusei and Bruno, but she stayed with us a bit longer.

"Then I should return to my class", Laila said. "My shift ends a bit sooner than Akiza's."

"Okay", I nodded. "We'll see you in your class, Laila."

Laila smiled. "Yep!"

The pink-haired girl left the classroom with a delighted aura.

"She's a quite cheerful girl", Bruno commented.

I nodded, "Yes, and I hope she remains cheerful when she grows up." I took a piece of my pancakes and ate it.

Yusei was drinking his glass of iced tea. "But girls can change when they hit puberty."

"Are we heading back to the same topic as last time?" I asked Yusei.

"What topic and what last time?" Akiza asked, looking a bit suspicious.

"It's nothing important", Yusei replied.

I had taken a few bites of my pancakes when I heard two low voices calling Akiza's name.

"Akiza. Akiza."

We turned to the booth that contained the kitchen. Two girls waved for Akiza, both of them looking worried.

"Your classmates seems to be worried about something", I told her.

"Yeah. I better go and see what's wrong", Akiza said. "I still have time before my shift."

I watched Akiza go to the booth while I couldn't help but feel a bit worried. Did something go wrong? Well, I hoped they could fix it.

But alas. Thirty seconds later, Akiza walked back to our table with a serious glance.

"Yusei, Bruno", she said. "I need your help."

The two men blinked confusedly, but stood up and followed the high school student girl. I decided to come along to see what was going on.

The problem was one of the two portable cooking stoves Akiza's class was using had suddenly stopped working.

"If we can't get the stove working, we won't be able to serve all the costumers at once", a girl with reddish hair and green eyes explained worriedly.

"And we lose costumers", another girl with light brown hair and hazel eyes added with a sad face.

Bruno walked over to the broken stove and started examining it. "What exactly happened?"

"Nothing!" one of the male cooks said a bit irritably. "I poured the batter for the pancakes in the pan and waited to turn it, but I noticed the batter was still fluently. So I removed the pan to touch the stove and realized it was cold!"

"Did someone accidently turn it off?" Yusei asked.

"No! It was on the whole time", the cook replied.

Yusei nodded and turned his eyes on Bruno. "What do you think, Bruno?"

"It looks a bit complicated, but…", Bruno began as he opened his vest to reveal his tools. "There's nothing in the world that I can't fix."

The students, Akiza and I watched how the two young men carefully pulled open the stove and found the problem that smelled not as delicious as the pancakes that were cooking on the other stove. A small circuit had fried and it oozed a burning odor.

"We need to replace this one part", Bruno said, showing Yusei the problem.

"I'll fetch my toolbox. I think I have a similar part", the raven-haired man said before leaving the classroom.

"Yusei actually brought along his toolbox?" Akiza questioned out loud.

"He says he never knows when his tools might come in handy, if he suddenly gets a job or stumbles upon someone who needs his help when he's out", Bruno replied.

"Wait… You two work as freelance mechanics?" a male student with short black hair and brown eyes, dressed as a waiter, asked.

"For the moment, yes", Bruno replied. "Our main focus right now is actually the WRGP."

That caught many of the female students' attention. I could see their eyes glow up in excitement.

Yusei returned with his toolbox with the correct circuit. He and Bruno began working and in less than three minutes, the cooking stove was working and cooking the cold pan with pancake dough.

The high school students gaped in surprise and admiration for seeing the two young men fixing a serious problem.

"Akiza!" the girl with reddish hair spoke up excitedly. "Why did you never tell us you had such amazing friends?"

Akiza looked like she wanted to stay quiet, but decided to answer anyway. "You never asked."

The girls turned their attention at both Yusei and Bruno as they put away the tools, and those two got suddenly surrounded by the girls.

The scene looked like one from a manga when a horde of girls surrounds a popular boy and wants to become his girlfriend. It looked a bit hilarious and that made me grin lightly.

Akiza didn't like the scene and clapped her hands loudly. "Okay, girls, that's enough! We got work to do!"

The majority of girls groaned as they slowly returned to their duty. Yusei and Bruno literally let out sighs of relief after being surrounded by fangirls.

"Thanks, Akiza", Yusei said.

"You're welcome", Akiza nodded with a smile. "Just don't tell the girls your address, or they will stalk you guys."

Bruno got a bit pale by the thought.

I let out a sigh. "Most teenage girls can barely keep their hormones in check. Why should that be so surprising, Bruno?"

"W-Well…", Bruno began. "If they would stalk us, then we would never finish our work for the World Racing Grand Prix."

"True", I agreed.

Bruno, Yusei and I walked out of the classroom to not stand in the way for both the students and the costumers. We stood by the corridor, but waited for Akiza. Students and citizens walked back and forth as many of them cast a glance at us every once in a while.

Yusei and Bruno really stood out with their looks and caught many girls' attention, just like as in the beginning. I couldn't blame them. These two men had good natural looks. Apparently, Jack fixed his hair with hair gel which came as a big surprise for me. I always thought his spiky hair was natural, but now when I thought deeper about it, the blonde's hair seemed to shine unlike Yusei, Crow and Bruno's.

"It was very impressive", I spoke up, getting Yusei and Bruno's attention. "You were able to fix the stove in less than five minutes, without using a manual."

"It was an easy fix when I found the problem", Bruno said.

"Yep", Yusei nodded in agreement. "Even if we don't often have manuals to fix stuff, we go by our instincts."

Instinct… That was what I often used in my battles.

Akiza exited her classroom with a bag that probably held her school uniform. "Estelle, I'm going to go change."

"Okay", I nodded. "I feel a bit thirsty, so I'll go and buy some drinks."

"Can you get a strawberry milk drink for me?" Akiza asked.

"Of course", I nodded before I turned to the boys. "And for you?"

"No thanks", Yusei said.

"I'm fine", Bruno smiled.

"Okay", I said before I turned around. "I'll be soon back."

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

It was partly true that Estelle was thirsty, but the other reason why she wanted to separate from the group was to slowly isolate herself from her friends. She needed to find such small opportunities and stay away from her friends so the pain of her leaving won't hurt them so much.

Estelle was in deep thoughts as she traveled down the stairs, not seeing how two 12th grade male students eyed her when she walked past them.

"Whoa… Did you see that hot chick?" one of the two boys asked his friend.

"Oh, yeah!" the other boy nodded. "Isn't she also the last year's Fortune Cup's champion?"

The first boy nodded, "That's Estelle for sure! I wonder what she's doing here."

"Maybe she's here visiting a friend."

"I wonder if she's here alone."

"Should we talk to her?"

"Yeah!"

But before the two boys could even move, someone else called Estelle's name.

"Estelle!"

Estelle stopped by the stairs and looked up with confused eyes. "Yusei?"

Yep. Yusei had just come to Estelle's aid.

The two boys watched nervously how Yusei walked past them and down to Estelle. He wrapped his right arm across the woman's shoulders, letting his hand rest on her right shoulder. To Estelle, it felt like a friendly and protective gesture, even if it made her blush, but to the boys, it looked like a romantic and possessive gesture, especially when Yusei gave them a strict and cold glare. The boys felt themselves turning into ice by the glare and the thought of Estelle having someone with her.

Yusei frowned lightly at the boys. He had a feeling from before that he had to follow Estelle, and he was relieved that he listened to his guts. He had also heard the dialogue between the boys.

*_Don't get ahead of yourselves, boys_*, Yusei thought.

"Ehh… Yusei", Estelle spoke up, getting his attention. "Is something wrong?"

For a second, Yusei didn't know what to say. "Do you even know where the vending machine is?"

Estelle nodded, "Yes. I heard that it's at the foot of the stairs."

"I'll go with-", Yusei began before he stopped himself. *_Wait… Aren't I being too possessive? Estelle is an adult and independent, but… She attracts men like bees are attracted to honey._*

Estelle looked at Yusei with a confused glance, not really understanding what was going on with Yusei.

The man removed his arm and placed his hands on her shoulders with a serious look. "Just… Be careful."

Estelle couldn't help but giggle at Yusei's reaction. "Don't worry, Yusei. A few cans can't hurt me."

"That's not what I…", Yusei began once again to stop himself.

Estelle just smiled gently and patted Yusei's right hand. "Don't worry. Men can't trick me that easily."

Yusei let out a sigh of relief when Estelle finally understood what he tried to tell her. Those two went on their separate ways, but none of them had seen the long-haired girl standing not so far away who had watched everything.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I got a bit surprised that Yusei followed me just to tell me to be careful. It was really sweet of him, while it was unnecessary. Sure, I had autism, but I could see the dangers in a realistic way and not being so naïve as I used to be.

I found the vending machine and got one strawberry milk and one black tea. The thing I liked about Japanese vending machines was they had both hot and cold drinks. In Sweden and other western countries, they only had cold drinks in vending machines.

"Excuse me, Estelle", an unfamiliar voice spoke up.

I looked up with the cans in my hands. A girl in same age as Akiza, dressed in the Duel Academy school uniform, stood there with a poker face. Her hair was long and blue, and a small portion was tied up into a ball on the back of her head.

She looked like someone Akiza had told me about. Wait… Could she be?

"You wouldn't happen to be Sora Sakamoto, Akiza's friend?" I asked.

The girl nodded, "Yes."

I moved the black tea can over to my left hand to hold out my right hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you from Akiza. I'm glad to see she has some friends here in Duel Academy."

Sora smiled very lightly and accepted my hand. "She's a kind girl."

I nodded, "That she is. Now… Did you need something?"

"Yes", Sora nodded. "Was that man by the stairs your boyfriend?"

That question took me off guard. I nearly dropped the cans in surprise, but I collected myself.

"Wait… You saw me and Yusei by the stairs?" I asked.

Sora nodded, "Yes. I assumed you two were together since the boy seemed protective."

I blushed at the comment, but swallowed back the warm feeling on my cheeks. "He's not my boyfriend."

Sora blinked with a confused expression. "Really? He seemed very fond of you."

I thought back at all those times when people thought Yusei and I were a couple. Did we really look like that? I thought my actions showed them clearly that I didn't want to get too close to Yusei. I didn't want to hurt him. But, wait… Yusei was the one who still tried to approach me. Maybe if he stopped doing that, we wouldn't look that much as a couple in people's eyes. But I couldn't just march up to him and tell him to stop doing that. That would be extremely rude and probably hurtful for him.

"I'm going to leave New Domino City soon after the World Racing Grand Prix", I told Sora. "So… Getting into a relationship now is out of question. But I want to cherish the remaining few months with my friends and Yusei, since I do have feelings for him."

"I see…", Sora mumbled quietly.

The ringtone of my cell phone was suddenly sounded. I pulled up the smartphone from my bag and saw it was Akiza calling. Sora was kind to hold the cans while I answered the call.

"Hello?"

"_Estelle, I'm sorry to ask for this, but I want to take a picture with the two of us together while I still have my outfit on._"

"Oh, that's no problem. Where can I find you?"

"_I got Laila to fetch you since you're probably still by the vending machine, right?_"

"Yes, I'm here with-"

"Estelle!"

I looked up and saw Laila running over to me with happy feet.

I smiled lightly at the happy chicken. "She's here."

"_Good, I'll see you soon!_"

"Yep."

I ended the call just as Laila hugged me around my waist. I smiled at the girl and rubbed her head, caressing her silky pink hair.

"I found you!" Laila grinned widely.

She reminded me a lot of Leo whenever he was in happy mode.

"That you did", I replied with a smile.

Laila looked up and saw Sora standing with us. "Hello."

Sora nodded in greeting.

"Laila, this is Sora. Sora, this is Laila", I introduced them to each other.

"Nice to meet you!" Laila smiled.

"Likewise", Sora nodded.

I put away my smartphone and took back the cans of drinks. "Thank you, Sora. I hope we can see again sometimes."

"Sure", Sora nodded.

Laila pulled my hand. "Come, Estelle! Akiza's waiting!"

I couldn't help but laugh at Laila's enthusiasm. "Okay, okay, Laila. Let's go."

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

"_I'm sorry, Yusei, but I'll be back in a few minutes with Akiza._"

"It's okay. Akiza forewarned me minutes ago."

"_Oh, good. Just be careful, you two, so you won't get kidnapped by fans._"

Yusei looked at his cell phone with a surprised look after Estelle ended the call. She had just used the same words that he told her ten minutes ago.

Bruno couldn't help but chuckle at the raven-haired man's reaction. "Estelle is sure one of a kind."

Yusei got over the slight shock and allowed a gentle smile appear on his lips. "Yeah…"

"Excuse me", a female voice spoke up.

Yusei and Bruno looked up to see a girl with Duel Academy's school uniform and long blue hair.

"Yes?" Bruno asked kindly. "Do you need help with something? My friend and I can help you fix it."

Sora shook her head. "No thanks. I'm Sora Sakamoto. I am acquaintance with Akiza Izinski."

"You're friends with Akiza?" Yusei asked. "I remember her talking about someone named Sora…"

Sora nodded, "That would be me."

It got quiet for a few seconds between the boys and the girl. Bruno could sense something was a bit weird, especially in the way Sora looked at his roommate.

"Estelle…", Sora began, getting Yusei's attention. "…seems to be the person who cherishes the people around her and puts their needs before her own. I have a feeling she's the same way when she really likes someone."

"What…?" Yusei mumbled, being caught off guard.

"Wait a minute!" Bruno jumped in. "How do you even know Estelle?"

"I met her by the vending machine and spoke to her shortly", Sora replied with an emotionless face. "However… I can't help but feel she's carrying a lot on her shoulders and refuse to share her burden with others. It's like…she either don't want to ask for help or…the people around her doesn't even care to help her." The girl spoke the last part with a very low voice.

Yusei couldn't help but feel his blood freeze into ice by the statement. Could Sora read through Estelle's personality and see the truth? The man thought back at the whole year. Estelle had always been the one who gave people her feelings and heart, but she very rarely asked something in return. She never asked others for a favor or if they could help her with something, and she always declined when people offered their assistance to her. The only times when Estelle was selfish were with the Duel Runner, the Daedalus Bridge celebration, the training with the Signers so they could unlock their own powers, and… Were there other times? Yusei had a hard time remembering since a lot had happened after the Fortune Cup and the Dark Signers. Whenever Estelle was in danger or put her life at stake, none of the Signers were there in time to help her.

Yusei felt a cold rush down his spine. Had he been so ignorant and couldn't see how much help Estelle actually needed? Had he and everyone else been bad friends and just used her good heart for their own needs? Estelle did look a lot ragged now when the Meklord Emperors were the current enemies of Yliaster. She had often bags under her eyes and she looked thinner than when he first met her, and her skin was so pale that it could be transparent.

Sora noticed Yusei got really shaken up by her personal thoughts. "My apologizes. I'm talking too much, aren't I?"

Bruno also saw Yusei's change. He could sense the raven-haired man's aura had changed and it didn't feel right. "Yusei…", Bruno cold sweated.

"I heard from Akiza you're joining the WRGP", Sora added. "I wish your team good luck…and with everything else." With that said, she turned around and left the duo.

Bruno watched the long-haired girl leave while Yusei's glance had turned to the floor. The taller man turned his attention at Yusei, feeling worried for him.

"Yusei? Is everything okay?" Bruno asked.

Yusei let out a weak sigh and pulled his head up, rubbing his forehead. "I don't know…"

"Is it about-", Bruno began.

"Yusei! Bruno!" Akiza's voice spoke up.

The two men turned to the right and saw Akiza, now dressed in her school uniform, and Estelle walking up to them with Laila holding Estelle's left hand.

"Sorry you guys had to wait", Estelle said as soon as the girls joined the duo.

The young woman noticed immediately in Yusei's eyes that he was absent-minded. She walked up to him and tried to get a reaction. "Yusei?"

Yusei blinked, getting back to reality, and looked at Estelle. "Yeah?"

"Is everything okay?" Estelle asked with a worried expression. "Do you feel sick?"

"No, I'm okay", Yusei replied, shaking his head while avoiding eye-contact.

Akiza could see something was different with Yusei. She pulled Bruno aside to talk to him while Laila remained by Estelle's side, also talking to Yusei who the raven-haired man had his attention.

"Okay, what's wrong with Yusei, Bruno?" Akiza whispered with a demanding voice. "He's acting weird."

"Ahh… Well…", Bruno began nervously. "Your friend Sora appeared out of nowhere and spoke about Estelle and how she saw her."

"Really? Sora did?" Akiza said in surprise.

"I think it triggered something inside Yusei", Bruno replied. "He must have taken Sora's words seriously because he literally shut down for a minute."

Akiza blinked confusedly and turned her head at the duo. Yusei avoided Estelle's eyes on purpose and had the look whenever he thought deeply about something

"Estelle! Let's hurry to my classroom!" Laila spoke up.

Estelle turned her attention at the small girl and gave her a laughing smile. "Okay, Laila." She looked over her shoulder to face Akiza and Bruno. "Let's head to Laila's classroom. We can't have the twins waiting, right?"

"Of course not", Akiza replied with her usual smile. "Let's go."

Bruno and Akiza walked on ahead, following Laila, while Yusei and Estelle walked behind them. The brown-haired woman couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with Yusei. What had caused him to look so lost?

"Estelle…", Yusei spoke up.

Said person turned to him, looking a bit hopeful. "Yes?"

Yusei swallowed, "Why won't you…?" His tongue froze before he could really say out his question.

Estelle looked like a question mark. "Are you really okay, Yusei?"

"I am…", Yusei replied.

His voice didn't sound so convincing in Estelle's ears, but she decided to not push him and leave him be.

"Don't worry so much, okay?" Estelle told him. "Just focus on the World Racing Grand Prix and nothing else."

Yusei stopped walking and watched Estelle follow the others. He watched the young woman's back as she walked away.

"Estelle…", the young man mumbled. "Why won't you tell us about your own problems? Why won't you accept our help? Why…?"

But his words fell into silence as they never reached Estelle.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**I was listening to sad music and watching sad scenes from the anime "Akame Ga Kill!" in the end and tried adding the same feelings that I got from the songs. It seems Yusei's eyes have slowly opened to see what is going on with Estelle.**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Laila Noble belongs to **_**Springflowerangel**_**.**

**Sora Sakamoto belongs to **_**Akane Raikou**_**.**


	69. The Ancient Land of Nazca

**I have to tell you guys some parts of the plot and the upcoming chapters so you won't get confused.**

**I know it's very soon time for the WRGP, but after getting inspiration from different manga and anime, I'm going to mix up the episodes a bit. So, instead of the first encounter with Team Unicorn being the next part in my fanfic, we'll change the course and move to Nazca and the Crimson Devil episodes.**

**And I have to say; I'm disappointed that they skipped several episodes for the English version, including the Nazca episodes. Why the heck did they do that?! …Oh, well, then I'll try coming up with my version of how the English dialogue would have been. Otherwise, I'll be using the subbed dialogue of the episodes.**

**Anyway, enjoy the next chapters because I'm going to add contents that maybe none have thought about, and those contents are partly inspired by the Priests of Light from the manga version of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 69: The Ancient Land of Nazca**

When Bolton turned himself in, he told his closest employee Rick to help Crow's team for the WRGP. So the Bolton Building of Bargains company was more or less the team's sponsor.

Speaking of said competition, it was soon time for the teams around the globe to gather in New Domino City and prepare themselves for the WRGP qualifying round, including Yusei's team.

Martha was busy finishing the last touches of Yusei and Crow's riding suits for the competition. When she heard from me how the boys thought about hiring someone to sew their suits, she insisted to make them for free so the boys wouldn't have to spend money.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I was taking it easy today. I decided to skip training to give my body some rest. Akiza pointed out during the cultural festival how worn I looked and that I should take a break from overtraining myself. She did have a good point. I felt myself being exhausted from both the physical and mental training.

Besides, nothing bad had happened lately, and by that I meant Yliaster.

I headed down to a beachside that I found a couple of months ago in Satellite. It wasn't a big area, but it had smooth sand, the pure scent of sea-salt and crying seagulls flying in the air. This was a perfect spot if I ever wanted to bathe in the sea. Maybe I would later in summer. Speaking of summer, I was thinking about changing my outfit since I was starting to sweat a bit in my current clothes.

I closed my eyes to listen at the waves clashing with the beach. I felt so relaxed as I enjoyed the moment, so it was no surprise that I jumped in surprise when I heard my smartphone sing its ringtone. I fished up the phone from my jacket and saw it was Yusei calling. I answered the call and held the phone against my right ear.

"Hello?"

"_Estelle? It's Yusei._"

I smiled when I heard his voice. "Hi, Yusei. What's up? Any problems before the WRGP?"

Yusei chuckled, "_No, not yet. But there is something that is concerning_."

"What is it?" I wondered, not getting it.

"_I got an e-mail from Greiger this morning._"

"Greiger?" I gaped, remembering the Nazca man from the Fortune Cup and who used to be a Dark Signer. "It's been a while since we got words from him. What does he want?"

"_He wants to meet Jack in Nazca to talk about a dream he had. He also mentioned he'd like to if both you and I came along too._"

"You mean… Fly all the way to Nazca?" I was a bit stunned by surprise.

"_Yeah, so that's why I sent Jack to Sector Security to talk to Mina and ask her if she could fix tickets for a flight to Lima, and then we'll have to travel to Nazca with our Duel Runners._"

"Sounds like quite an expensive flight exclusive for the King himself", I said with a sarcastic voice.

Yusei chuckled at the joke. "_Jack doesn't really get the message, but he's still going to see what Greiger wants. So… Do you want to come along?_"

I thought about it for a moment. It would actually be nice to see more of the world. I used to travel a lot with my parents in Europe, especially when we drove with our car down to Austria to visit relatives, sometimes with flight. But after I became 12 years old, my mother and I stopped traveling while Father kept doing it.

"Sure. It's been a while since I flew with an airplane, and I'd like to see the real Nazca Lines without any Earthbound Immortals around."

Yusei let out a soft laugh. "_Good. I'll call Jack and tell him you're aboard._"

"Okay. Call me back when you get the tickets and know what time it will be when the flight departs."

"_Of course. Meanwhile, I'll prepare the Duel Runners so they can stand the environment in Nazca._" There was a noise in the background, something metal hitting the floor, followed by Yusei hissing irritably. "_Dammit…_"

"It sounds like you're busy. I won't keep you occupied with the phone any longer."

I was about to end the call when Yusei called my name.

"_Wait, Estelle!_"

I placed back the phone against my ear. "Yes?"

There was a moment of silence before Yusei spoke with a calm and warm voice.

"_I'll see you soon._"

I smiled while I blushed by his deep voice. "Yeah... See you soon, Yusei."

With that, the call was over. I put away my smartphone as I kept hearing Yusei's voice echoing in my head. There was something about the last part of the call that felt odd. It felt more like…romantic? Was that even the correct word to describe the feeling that had been hidden in his voice?

Or maybe he just missed me, as his friend? We all have been busy lately; the guys with the preparation for the WRGP, Akiza and the twins with Duel Academy, and me with my personal training. Life was moving on.

I looked at the ocean in front of me as the wind ruffled my hair. Something felt wrong about this sudden turn. It wasn't time yet for the Nazca episodes, so what was going on? I guessed I had to find out once we make it to Nazca.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yusei, Jack and I were provided with our own private flight to Peru. It was actually Bolton's company who paid for the trip, saying Yusei and Jack's upgraded Duel Runners would make great publicity and show the world what the Bolton Building of Bargains company was capable of. The plan was to fly to Lima, then travel with the Duel Runners to Ica to stay over in a hotel (also paid by Bolton Building of Bargains), and drive to Greiger's home next day.

I brought along a backpack with necessaries just like when Yusei and I had traveled to Crash Town. You never knew if we would be running low on food or water. Greiger mentioned in the e-mail that he and his two siblings lived in the middle of the area where the Nazca Lines were, meaning in the middle of a warm and rocky area.

I sat behind Yusei as he and Jack drove through the terrain of the Nazca Lines. There were no vegetation and no shadows to protect my head. I was wearing Yusei's spare helmet which provided tinted glass. It helped me a lot to protect my eyes from the strong sunlight.

"Who would've thought we would see those hideous patterns again", Jack spat irritably.

"Jack, the Nazca Lines may hold the spirits of the Earthbound Immortals, but they are also part of an old culture", I told him. "It's actually fascinating to see them for real, although it's hard to see them from our perspective."

"Do you feel anything from the Nazca Lines, Estelle?" Yusei wondered.

I shook my head. "Nothing. I can't sense any leaking negative energy coming from them, so they are properly sealed now."

"Good", Yusei sounded relieved.

"This trip also gives me some space and silence after hearing Crow's complains all the time", Jack added.

"What did you do this time, Jack?" I asked.

"The coffee you make for him was out, so Jack had five cups of Blue-Eyes Mountains from the cafeteria", Yusei explained. "I'd say you're getting nervous for the WRGP, Jack." There was a laugh in his voice.

"Jack Atlas never gets nervous for a competition!" Jack retorted irritably. "I was thinking of coming up with a new method of Dueling, and the coffee helps my brain to think better!"

I sighed, "Your addiction to coffee is worse than my father's."

"What about your addiction to tea?" Jack retorted.

"There's less caffeine in tea than in coffee", I replied nonchalantly.

There was a moment of silence while the only noises we heard were the engines of the Duel Runners and some birds crying above us.

"Greiger said he used to live in a village, but I'd never thought he would live in the middle of nowhere", Yusei commented.

Jack snorted, "And asking us to come see him because of a dream… So idiotic."

"But his e-mail was very concerning", Yusei added. "'Jack Atlas. If he does not find a new way to fight, then he will perish by his own power…'"

"Sounds like a joke to me", Jack snorted. "But, like he said, I've been thinking of coming up with a new way to Duel tor the past few days. And then this came up."

"You think it's a coincidence?" I asked.

"Maybe…", Jack replied.

"Your way of Dueling is power, right?" Yusei asked.

"Yeah", Jack nodded. "It's the only way."

"Not always, Jack, but that's your style", I said. "And you should keep it that way if you feel like that is truly your style."

"But, Jack, are you still hesitating about it?" Yusei wondered. "If you're really okay with your way of Dueling… That's why we're here."

Jack didn't reply on the question, but I could sense he was hesitating. After all, in order to defeat Yliaster, since Lester, Primo and Jakob would appear in the WRGP, Yusei had to master the Accel Synchro summoning and that required speed, not power. Jack had to come up with a different method to use his power.

Now when I thought about it, the Satellite Trio was almost like Team Sonic from Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Yusei represented speed, Jack represented strength, and Crow represented flight. They were like Sonic the Hedgehog, Knuckles the Echidna, and Tails Prower.

I looked ahead and spotted a temple in the distance. I glanced over Yusei's shoulder and looked at the coordinates on the monitor. According to the coordinates he got from Greiger, we were now very close to the man's home.

As we got closer, we saw a house built next to the temple and a figure standing on the top of the temple. It was Greiger. He waved his hand in the air as greeting.

"It's Greiger!" Yusei exclaimed, happy to see an old friend.

Yusei and Jack stopped in front of the temple while Greiger walked down to us.

"Yusei. Estelle", Greiger smiled as we stepped up to him. "Thanks for coming." He shook hands with Yusei before he turned to me. "It's nice to see you all."

"Same here, Greiger", I nodded as I shook hands with him.

Greiger turned to Jack who joined us. "Jack, it's been a while." And they also shook hands.

Jack frowned a bit. "Well, this trip better be worth it for this nonsense."

Greiger chuckled at Jack's comment, not taking it personally.

"What's with this temple?" Yusei asked.

Greiger turned around to look at the temple. "My brother, sister and I built it to pacify the Earthbound Immortals who have returned to their geoglyphs."

I glanced at the top of the temple and spotted a stone tablet that had a serpent creature carved on.

"To pacify the Earthbound Immortals?" Yusei said.

We heard voices coming from the house and saw Greiger's little siblings run over to us. Both of them looked excited to see us, especially Jack.

"These are my siblings; Max and Annie", Greiger introduced them to us.

"Yeah, I remember", Yusei nodded. "They were sacrificed for the whale Earthbound Immortal. It's good to see they've returned safely."

Max and Annie stood in front of us, the boy being very cheerful because of Jack. "It's Jack Atlas the King!" he cheered.

Jack grew stiff and got a very scary expression. "I'm not the King anymore!"

Max flinched at Jack's harsh voice and ran over to Greiger to hide behind him.

"Jack!" I scolded Jack. "He's just a child. Take it easy with him."

Jack just snorted.

"You see, the children have no memories of what happened while their souls were taken by the Earthbound Immortals", Greiger explained. "That's why they still think Jack is still the King of Games."

"Well, technically, he still is", I mumbled.

Greiger turned to Max. "Max, the truth is-"

"Stop, Greiger!" Jack interrupted. "Your little brother is right! I am Jack Atlas, the Master of Faster! The King of Games!" He used his old pose with one point finger pointing up at the sky.

Max and Annie were impressed and clapped their hands, happy to see Jack pose in front of them. They tried imitating Jack's pose, but they did it wrong so Jack showed it again.

It was funny to see Jack entertain the children, but it also showed he had potential to be a good father in the future.

"It's nice to be with the family", Greiger said as the rest of us watched in the background. "After all the Duels I've been through, I was able to reunite with my siblings and be at peace."

Greiger invited me, Jack and Yusei inside their home which was like one-flat apartment with one side being the kitchen/living room area while the other area was the bedroom that consisted of mattress and covers on the floor.

The bulky man brewed tea for us before we sat down by a table to talk about the dream. "We decided to find a new goal together, so we left our village. But I eventually realized something. I was not only trying to find a goal… I was traveling to escape my sins…"

This reminded me of Kalin's situation how he felt guilty for doing all the bad stuff he did as a Dark Signer. Greiger was feeling in the same way. Was this an after-effect for being a Dark Signer?

"Greiger, you don't have to feel responsible of what happened", Yusei told him.

"But I can't forgive myself", Greiger replied. "People have a choice to make when they make a mistake. I have to come up with a conclusion before I could forget my mistake and move on. But I reached a different decision. I'll move forward carrying my mistake."

Okay, this definitely felt just like Kalin's case.

"Carrying your mistake…", Yusei mumbled.

Greiger nodded, "That's right. I won't run away from it, and I'll go with it."

But carrying a mistake for a lifetime… It would wear one out mentally sooner or later. If I did something that was a mistake, I would feel horribly guilty, but I would try to make amends to clear my name and then forget about it and move on. Wasn't it how life worked?

"Then one day, Max, Annie and I came to this place", Greiger continued. "The Earthbound Immortals were sealed away after the war between the Signers and the Dark Signers. But the Earthbound Immortals might be able to be used again by another dark will. This place is where different kinds of spirits place a seal on them. We built the temple in order to seal the Earthbound Immortals and watch over them, so we decided to settle down here."

"You built the temple by yourselves?" I said in surprise. "That's very impressive, and you did an amazing work. The temple looks like it could've been built by the ancient Nazca people."

Greiger smiled at the compliment. "Thank you, Estelle." But his smile fell off and got replaced by a worrisome expression. "But now… There have been a series of incidents recently. Many animals in several villages have died for unknown reasons. People began spreading rumors that this is the Crimson Devil's work."

The Crimson Devil? I remember reading about it back in my dimension, but that had been a very tiny amount of information that I've forgotten after all these months in this dimension.

"The Crimson Devil?" Jack repeated.

Greiger nodded, "And this is just a collection of entity that is slowly leaking from the ground. I'm sure that something is coming back to this land."

"Could it be related to what's going on in New Domino City and Yliaster?" Yusei questioned.

"Don't tell me… The Dark Signers and the Earthbound Immortals are coming back?!" Jack exclaimed.

The Signers turned to me to verify their suspicions.

I shook my head. "No. The Dark Signers are long gone. The Crimson Devil…has a connection to the Crimson Dragon."

"What?" the Signers said simultaneously.

I nodded, "I don't remember the details, so that's all I know."

"If that's the case…", Greiger spoke up. "I might not be able to have the ability to seal everything. Then, the other day, Jack, I had that dream about you." Jack glanced at him with sharp eyes. "This is not a coincidence. It feels exactly the same way as when I used to be a Dark Signer, and my spirit was controlled by the Earthbound Immortal." He clenched his hands together. "I'm sure this is a prediction from my dream. And as I said, Jack… You will perish by your own power. If you continue to fight relying on power, it will eventually turn against you. You should take the warning of my dream seriously. It's telling you fight using the opposite of power."

That was the last straw because Jack hit the table with his fist, causing his cup of tea to tip and spill its content.

Jack stood up and leant over Greiger with an angry expression. "This thing is something I've already thought of before. But I will still press forward and fight with power!"

Greiger wasn't affected by Jack's actions, but he looked determined to prove Jack that the warning from the dream was true. "In that case, show me your power. I will convince you to show me only the power of Jack Atlas. In a Turbo Duel."

Jack didn't hesitate for a single second. "That's fine by me!"

Yusei and I exchanged worried glances. It was true what Greiger said. If you kept relying on power, it would one day turn against you. It was just like with training for athletes; if they kept overdoing their training, it would cause them more hurt than good.

I suddenly felt my Star Mark throb unexpectedly. I placed a hand on my right arm, feeling the throbbing disappear just as fast as it came. Was it a sign of the Crimson Devil?

Something told me things would end up looking worse than just bad during the stay in Nazca.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

We all helped Greiger to settle up torches that we would lighten up in the evening to make a Dueling course for the Turbo Duel. It took a couple of hours since we set them up on a geoglyph of one of the Nazca Lines.

Once we were done, the sun was already going down for the day. But Greiger told us to wait to lighten up the torches. He wanted the sun to fully disappear before it was time for the Turbo Duel.

I kept sensing this mysterious aura coming from the temple that Greiger and his sibling built. It felt mischievous but powerful. I was certain it was the Crimson Devil and none of the Earthbound Immortals. I would recognize the negative energy, plus it would give me pain just like before.

The moon took over the sky, so it was time to lighten up the torches. Greiger, Annie, Yusei and I split up in four different directions with one fire torch each and lightened up the Dueling course.

It was actually dramatically to see the torches form the Nazca Line of the whale Earthbound Immortal; the one that possessed Greiger during the war with the Dark Signers.

We gathered by the temple where Greiger had prepared a bucket of water to extinguish the fire torches we had used.

"Sorry for asking you to help us, Yusei and Estelle", Greiger told us.

"It's okay", I said. "I'd rather help out than do nothing."

Greiger turned to the temple where Jack and Max had been waiting. "We're ready now, Jack."

Jack put on his helmet and sat down on his Duel Runner. "So am I!" He drove over to us, ready for the Turbo Duel. "Let's Duel, Greiger!"

"Well…", Greiger began.

I felt another throb coming not only from my Mark but also from my heart. I gripped my jacket for a second before I felt the throbbing was gone.

I sensed something weird coming from nearby, so I turned to the direction where I felt it. Max stood there with his eyes dull and foggy, like something was controlling him. Was it the Crimson Devil? Why did it take over the little boy? Would it hurt him?

"There's a change of plan", Greiger said. "Max will be your opponent."

I wasn't as surprised as the others, since I was certain that Greiger knew that his little brother was being possessed.

"What did you say?!" Jack spat angrily.

"Greiger, you can't be serious", Yusei said.

Jack stepped out of his Duel Runner. "What the hell are you thinking?!"

"A child can't be Jack's opponent", Yusei argued.

"Are you underestimating me?!" Jack snarled.

"Of course not", Greiger replied before walking over to his siblings and patted Max's head. "He's the perfect opponent for to bring out your full power."

"But Max's Deck isn't _that_ powerful-", Jack began.

"I'll do it", Max interrupted with a monotone voice. "I can't think of anything better than to Duel with the King."

"Well said, Max", Greiger smiled proudly.

"Max…", Annie spoke worriedly.

I turned to Jack with worrisome eyes. "I guess you've got no choice, Jack."

Jack frowned before walking back to his Duel Runner while muttering to himself. "Dueling a child… How dumb…"

Yusei walked over to me. "What do you think that might happen, Estelle?"

I let out a soft sigh. "I don't know… We'll just have to watch the Duel."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yusei, Annie and I used Yusei's monitor to watch the Turbo Duel. Max used some kind of a Power Reversal Deck to prevent Jack's Red Dragon Archfiend to do any damage or destroy any Monsters.

I also felt another throbbing from both my Mark and heart during the Duel. It almost felt like it was calling to me.

Just when it looked like Jack was going to break through Max's defense, the boy activated two same Trap cards and reversed Red Dragon Archfiend's attack points at Jack. Not only that, but Red Dragon Archfiend got enveloped by a fiery aura before he attacked Jack with the flames. The power force was so strong that Jack was knocked out from the Dueling course, calling off the Turbo Duel.

Yusei, Annie and I ran over to the others to see if Jack was hurt.

"You okay, Jack?" Yusei asked.

Jack got up on his feet, looking a bit shaking. "You think you took my power from me… Don't think that you took my power from me!"

I glanced at Max and saw his eyes were back to normal. The Crimson Devil must have left him, and Jack probably noticed during the Duel that the boy had been possessed.

"Jack… I'm sorry", Greiger apologized. "But I hoped that you would find a new way to rely on your power."

Jack ignored the muscle man and walked over to his Duel Runner. He sat down on it as he pulled it up.

"Jack…", Yusei called.

"What are you doing?" I asked the blonde man.

"I'm not tossing away my power!" Jack declared before he took off.

"Jack, wait!" I called.

But Jack didn't hear me. He drove towards the empty horizon to who knew where.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Jack had been gone the whole night. Yusei, Greiger and I could barely sleep as we were all worried for him. Max and Annie had slept well, so they weren't as exhausted as we were when the morning sun raised up by the horizon.

Yusei, Greiger and I sat by the table to talk about yesterday's Turbo Duel while Annie and Max were outside washing the plates and mugs we had used for breakfast.

"What do you mean?" Yusei said after hearing what Greiger just told us. "Max used Monsters that weren't supposed to be in his Deck when he Dueled Jack?"

Greiger nodded, "I got suspicious and took a peek at Max's Deck."

"Was it really the Deck he used during his Duel with Jack?" Yusei asked.

"Yes", Greiger replied. "That's the only Deck Max has."

"That's strange", Yusei said. "What did Max say?"

"Well… He says he remember Dueling Jack, but…", Greiger began. "Max says that he doesn't remember the result of the Duel with Jack."

Yusei thought about something for a second. "Greiger, why did you let Max Duel Jack in the first place?" Greiger looked like he didn't know why he let Max Duel. "Max is still a child, and even if he admires Jack, he would have been overwhelmed and lost to Jack's power. So why?"

"That's… I don't know either", Greiger confessed.

"I think I know", I spoke up, getting the two men's attention. "Since yesterday, I've been having this weird feeling coming from both my Mark and heart that is similar to the Earthbound Immortals, but much stronger. I think…the Crimson Devil controlled both you and Max, Greiger."

The men looked shocked at my conclusion, but it caused Greiger to think deeper into the matter.

"It's true that I saw that dream as a prophecy, and saw that Jack would destroy himself with his power, and had him Duel Jack", Greiger said. "But… If the Crimson Devil really controlled us…"

"In any case, why did you call Jack?" Yusei questioned.

"That's because I saw that dream", Greiger replied.

"Why did you see that dream and think that Jack would die?" Yusei continued asking.

"I don't know", Greiger shook his head. "But… If Estelle's right about the Crimson Devil controlling me and Max… Maybe that's why I had the dream in the first place. Maybe…" He grew quiet for a moment before he gasped and stood up from his chair. "The Crimson Devil has used me! He used me to lure Jack to come to Nazca!"

"But why?" Yusei asked with an alert voice.

I felt a new throbbing feeling from my heart just as there was a huge explosion coming from outside. I quickly put my hands against my ears to hear less of the noise. The explosion was so strong that it shook the whole house.

When the noise settled down, we rushed out and saw smoke coming from the top of the temple. Max stood by the stairs and looked scared and speechless. I also noticed how the once clear sky had turned into a mess of black clouds, emitting an evil force.

"Max!" Greiger called as we ran over to the boy with Annie. "What happened?"

"It's Jack… He…", Max began hesitantly. "He just disappeared!"

"Disappeared?!" Yusei exclaimed.

"What do you mean by that?" Greiger asked his little brother.

I was the first one to run up the stairs to the top of the temple to see a hole on the top floor. The hole revealed a hidden path with stairs leading down into the ground. The other joined around me as they noticed the hole.

"What's this?" Greiger was surprised. "We built the shrine with one level! Why is there a hidden corridor?"

"Do you think Jack went down there?" Yusei asked.

I used the bond of the Marks and sensed Jack being somewhere underneath us. "Yes. I can sense his Mark coming from the corridor." I picked up something else that felt very uncomfortable. "…And there's something else down there."

"You think it's the Crimson Devil?" Greiger asked me.

I nodded slowly. "Yes…"

"We have to go after Jack", Yusei said determinedly.

Greiger nodded, "Yes, before the Crimson Devil hurts him." He turned to his siblings. "Max, Annie. I want you two to stay here."

"No way!" Max retorted. "Jack is there because of me… I want to say sorry to him because of the Duel."

Greiger sighed through his nose. "Okay, Max. But, Annie, you stay here. Who knows what could be hiding in the corridor."

Annie nodded with a worried face. "Be careful, you four."

Greiger smiled as he patted Annie's head. "We will, Annie."

I held up my right hand, palm up, and created a single flame that would work as a torch. Max and Annie were impressed to see I could use magic.

I took a step forward and entered the corridor. "Let's go."

I had a feeling I looked determined on the outside, but I felt extremely worried on the inside. This evil feeling was frightening. Was it going to hurt me and seep my energy just like with the Earthbound Immortals? Or maybe do something worse to me?

I prayed it wasn't so.


	70. Going Back to the Past

**I'm so sorry, but I had to go back to the last chapter and edit the Red Nova name back to the Crimson Devil. There are reasons, and I'm pretty sure you know them, but if not, they'll be revealed in the chapter. Plus I rewrote a small part of the last chapter, just before Yusei, Estelle and Jack made it to Greiger's home. If you're curious, feel free to take a peek.**

**I can only say one thing; the title of the chapter tells everything you need to know. ;)**

**Enjoy a real mind-blowing chapter!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

**Chapter 70: Going Back to the Past**

Yusei, Greiger and Max followed me behind as we walked down the endless stairs. It felt like several hours while it had only been ten minutes. Sadly, we couldn't spot Jack so we feared he had made it to the floor where, hopefully not, the Crimson Devil was waiting for him.

"This definitely wasn't here when we built the shrine", Greiger assured.

Yusei analyzed the walls. "It doesn't look like something that could be built. It was built…by something."

I looked at the walls, still being on the front of the line. "It's probably the Crimson Devil…or something else. Like a servant to him."

"A servant?" Greiger questioned.

I nodded, "I remember something about a Familiar of the Crimson Devil. Maybe that's what controlled you and Max and not the Crimson Devil himself."

"That's highly possible", Greiger said. "And that Familiar must have guided Jack down here now."

I felt another throb, but it was stronger than before. I almost tripped on my feet and lost balance, causing my concentration to break and the flame in my hand disappear. I leant against the wall as I clutched my jacket, feeling the pain coming from my heart.

Yusei immediately placed his hands on my shoulders and arms, trying to help me. "Estelle, what's wrong?!"

I panted to get rid of the pain while I felt Jack being controlled by the evil power. "J-Jack…"

"Does she sense Jack?" Greiger asked. "Is he okay?!"

I straightened up as I felt the pain die down. The worry inside me grew even stronger than before. I couldn't let Jack get hurt. I just couldn't!

"Jack!" I shouted as I ran as fast as I could down the stairs.

I heard the others call my name, but I ignored them. Jack was getting dragged into something that would kill him if he weren't careful. I had to be there and protect him no matter the cost.

The noise of falling stone reached my ears, telling me I was getting close to the place where Jack and the Familiar were.

I entered a big room that looked like a temple with a giant stone figure in the front that looked like a god. In front of the statue stood a burning creature with five stone tablets that looked like Duel Monsters cards. In the middle of the room stood Jack with his Duel Disk activated, five cards in his hand as well.

The Duel must have just begun since there were no cards or Monsters out on the field.

"Jack!" I called.

Jack turned to my direction, looking very surprised. "Estelle?!"

The burning creature, the Familiar, looked at me as well before it laughed. "Well, well! Look who we have here! The Crimson Star Priestess herself! Oh, how lucky my master and I are today!"

I was about to run down to Jack when the Familiar sent a beam at me. I didn't saw it coming, so I was hit by the beam and pushed back against the wall. I cried out in pain as I felt my head hurt like hell before I lost consciousness.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

Yusei, Greiger and Max ran after Estelle as quickly as they could. Yusei was quite surprised to see how fast Estelle was. She used to have a very bad condition, but all those months of training had given her an athletic body.

Yusei's head shot up when he heard a woman's painful cry coming from ahead. He pushed himself harder to make it to Estelle before she got even more hurt.

There was light ahead, so the boys made it out from the long corridor and entered the giant room. Estelle's body lied against the wall, her head leaning down as she was unconscious. A red stain on the wall above her told Yusei that she got hurt. Fury built inside him as he ran down to Estelle.

"Estelle!" Yusei shouted as he knelt down next to Estelle's body.

"T-This is…", Greiger spoke up when he saw where they were, and also spotted Jack who had his eyes on Estelle.

"Welcome-welcome to the show!" the Familiar laughed. "You came just in time for the next surprise of the party!"

The Familiar waved his hand up just as Estelle's body got enveloped by a red glowing aura. Yusei's eyes widened as the woman's body was levitated from the stairs and floated towards the Familiar.

The raven-haired man jumped up on his feet to chase after Estelle. "Wait!"

"Stay back, you nuisance!" the Familiar shouted before he hit the floor with his feet repeatedly.

It caused the whole room to crack, but not fully breaking. The last part of the stairs was crumbled, making it unable for Yusei, Greiger and Max to reach the ground floor. Also, the floor where Jack and the Familiar stood broke into an endless pit, but left a plateau for Jack to stand on for the Duel while the Familiar was safe and sound by his master's statue.

The Familiar laughed even harder as he guided Estelle's body to him while shooting an energy beam at the entrance, sealing it to make it unable for anyone to leave.

"What are you going to do to Estelle's body?!" Jack snarled at the Familiar. "Leave her out of this!"

The Familiar just laughed as Estelle's body floated in front of him. "You'll see, Jack Atlas."

The Familiar turned into two burning spheres and entered Estelle's body. The woman's body took the Familiar's place by the statue while her body was enveloped in fire. No one could see what was happening to Estelle or what the Familiar was doing to her body. Yusei and Jack grew worried as they had a bad feeling about what the Familiar was doing.

The fire died down after several seconds and showed everyone something none had expected.

It was like Estelle and the Familiar got fused into one. Estelle's clothes had been replaced with a simple seductive outfit, consisting of a burning top that had a deep neckline and revealed some of her bust, very short orange shorts with a deep cut on the front that was close to reveal her private part, short burning boots with heels, and burning gloves that nearly reached her elbows. She had a tail that looked like the Familiar's, and her once chestnut-brown hair had been replaced with a burning orange hair. And the last thing was that her eyes were empty. They were white, just like the Familiar's.

The fused human looked at its body before a laugh snuck out from Estelle's mouth, two front sharp teeth exposing. "Well, well, it's been a while since I controlled a body." The voice was a mix of Estelle's and the Familiar's.

"You monster!" Jack snarled. "What did you do to Estelle?!"

"What, you ask?" the fused being shrugged nonchalantly. "I took control of her body, just like how I took control over the first Crimson Star Priestess's body during the war between my master and the Crimson Dragon."

"What?!" Jack spat.

"The first Crimson Star Priestess…?" Yusei mumbled.

Estelle-Familiar turned to Yusei and frowned at the sight of him. It could sense the power of the Head Mark of the Dragon emitting from him, and it felt disgusting for the Familiar.

"Eat this!" Estelle-Familiar sent a new energy beam and hit Yusei.

The raven-haired man hit his back against the wall and groaned in pain. His whole body ached by the energy beam. Greiger and Max ran to him to see if they could help him.

"Yusei!" Jack called for his foster brother.

Greiger turned to the blonde man. "Jack! Max and I have both been used by the Crimson Devil! In order to call you to this country!"

"What do you mean?" Jack asked with widen eyes before he turned to Estelle-Familiar.

The creature laughed in amusement. "I've been found out too soon, although the ritual has already started."

"This is invalid!" Jack growled.

"There's no going back now!" Estelle-Familiar shouted. "If you win this ritual, you'll gain power. However, if I win…" He pointed at Jack. "Your body will become the Crimson Devil's and the Crimson Star Priestess's body will burn down into ashes and die!"

Everyone gasped when they heard the conditions of the Duel.

"What did you say?" Jack said in disbelief.

"By taking on Jack Atlas's flesh, the Crimson Devil will revive from 10,000 years of slumber!" Estelle-Familiar explained as he turned his head to the other three boys, Yusei being up on his feet again. "You all will be sacrifices for this ritual, just like the Priestess." He let out another one of his hideous laughs.

"Shut up!" Jack snarled.

"Jack, it's up to you", Estelle-Familiar said. "You're the Crimson Devil itself." Jack blinked in surprise. "Even if you go to hell, you wanted power more than anything else. Your flesh, which desires that the most… It's perfect for the Crimson Devil! Think of it as an honor." He laughed again.

"Take it, if you can!" Jack retorted.

"Jack!" Yusei called.

"Wait, Yusei!" Jack shouted. "I'll get rid of him quickly and rescue Estelle's body!"

Estelle-Familiar laughed, "Then let's begin the ritual. I'll take the first turn."

**Estelle-Familiar: 4000**

**Jack: 4000**

The fused creature raised up his right hand. "My turn!" A new stone tablet flew down and joined the other five stone tablets that served as cards. "I summon Abyss Kid in defense mode!"

The Monster stone tablet was set on the field as a fiend monster, dressed in a brown cloak and had a fork and knife as weapons, appeared on the field.

**Abyss Kid, Level 1: DEF 0**

"I place one card face-down and end my turn", Estelle-Familiar used his power to place down one of its stone tablets.

"The contracted ritual has begun…", Yusei said.

"How can this be?" Greiger mumbled.

Max held onto his brother as he was worried for Jack. He didn't want his idol to get hurt.

"What can you do with a Monster with zero defense points?" Jack glared before he placed his hand on his Deck. "It's my turn!" He drew a card. "When there's a Monster only on my opponent's side of the field, I can summon Big Piece Golem without Tributing!"

The big boulder golem appeared on the field in attack mode.

**Big Piece Golem, Level 5: ATK 2100**

"Big Piece Golem, attack Abyss Kid with Power Pressure!" Jack commanded.

Big Piece Golem charged its fist and hit Abyss Kid. Abyss Kid got destroyed, but the pieces that had formed the Duel Monster joined together into a yellow light that hit Jack and sucked some of his Life Points, including his own energy.

**Estelle-Familiar: 4000**

**Jack: 4000 – 3200**

Estelle-Familiar chuckled at the scene. "When Abyss Kid is sent to the Graveyard, 800 points of damage are inflicted to the opponent!"

Jack recovered from the sudden assault. "I place one card face-down and end my turn!" A face-down card was seen behind Big Piece Golem.

Yusei suddenly got a thought when he looked the possessed Estelle for a moment. "If the Familiar took over Estelle's body… What happened to her soul?"

"What do you mean?" Greiger asked.

"Since Estelle is the Crimson Star Priestess, her soul might have traveled to the Spirit World", Yusei explained. "Just like how it was for Luna back in the Fortune Cup when she was hypnotized by the Professor."

"But what if her soul is trapped inside her body and not in the Spirit World?" Greiger questioned.

Yusei hesitated answering since he didn't know himself. What happened to Estelle when her body got taken over by the Familiar? What if she really was trapped inside her own body? Would she even be able to regain control if she tried her hardest?

"I… I don't know…", Yusei mumbled. "I just don't know…"

What he didn't know was his secret love's spirit had traveled to a place, but not to the Spirit World.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

I felt something wet touch my forehead, like a damp cloth. I groaned while I slowly opened my eyes, finding out I didn't have my glasses on me because my eyesight was blurry.

"Ah, you're awake", a gentle woman's voice spoke up.

I found myself lying on a bed as I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I turned to the right and saw a woman sitting next to the bed. She held out something to me which was my glasses. I grabbed them and placed them on my nose and ears before I took a closer look at the woman. She had straight black hair that didn't even reach her shoulders, red eyes, natural red lips and tanned skin, like Greiger's. She was dressed in a red outfit and had lots of golden accessories on her upper body. She had a golden diadem decorated with rubies resting on her head.

The woman emitted a powerful aura that felt very similar to the Crimson Dragon's. I couldn't tell how old she was, but I was sure she was around my age, if not even older.

"My people found you not so far away from our village", the woman spoke. "We decided to bring you here because the Signers and I could sense a good aura from you."

I blinked confusedly. "The Signers…?"

The woman held out a hand to me. "My name is Cometa. What's yours, stranger?"

I hesitated for a second before I placed my hand on hers. "Estelle…"

"Estelle, you say?" Cometa said in fascination. "That is a lovely name."

I nodded bashfully. "Thank you…" I looked around and saw I was in a room that looked like an ancient medical room. "Where am I?"

"In my people's village", Cometa replied. "Come, let me show you around."

Cometa put on a wine-red cloak before she guided me out of the house and I was met by a half-glorious sight.

The village looked like one of the ancient Inca kingdoms with magnificent buildings, except several of them looked demolished, like there had been war recently. I spotted a mountain range that was so high that it reached up to the sky, the tips hiding among the clouds.

People in Inca clothes walked around and helped each other by rebuilding their homes, taking care of the food supply, mothers looking after the children and helping the old people. Teenage boys were looking after the herds of cows, lambs and hens and herding them to an area outside of the village.

Many people were wearing tops that didn't have any sleeves, only a few had and those were mostly the older people.

"What happened here?" I asked Cometa.

Cometa let out a soft sigh. "We engaged in battle with our god against the Crimson Devil not so long time ago."

My eyes widened when I heard the name. And the other god… Was it maybe the Crimson Dragon?

Now when I took a closer look at Cometa, she did look like she was tired, but hid it very well.

"Cometa", a man's voice called.

Cometa looked to her left and she seemed to brighten up. "Yuus."

Did she just say "juice", or did I hear it wrong?

Cometa walked over to a man who seemed to be in his early twenties with a two or three years old child in his arms. I stepped closer, but stopped when I took in the man's appearance.

He looked just like Yusei with same hairstyle, black without golden highlights, and cobalt blue eyes, and much tanned skin.

"Yusei?!" I exclaimed in shock.

The man, Yusei's duplicate, looked at me with confused eyes. "…No, my name is just Yuus."

**XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV**

The Duel between Jack and Estelle-Familiar wasn't going so well for the blonde Signer. He had taken lots of damage from the fused being by card effects and not by battle, while his attacks were often negated.

**Estelle-Familiar: 4000**

**Jack: 2400 – 1600**

Everyone knew that Estelle-Familiar was trying to lure Jack to attack more, so he would end up taking more damage by card effects until his Life Points could reach to zero.

Estelle-Familiar skipped his next turn, acting like there was nothing he could do. It was then a long red shape started appearing in the endless pit below Jack.

"What was that just now?" Jack mumbled.

"That appearance is…", Greiger mumbled in disbelief.

The red shape flew up and over Jack before it dived into the pit. It was a long snake that glowed with a sickening red color.

"I get it! That's why I couldn't remember!" Greiger exclaimed. "The Crimson Devil is…an Earthbound Immortal!"

"An Earthbound Immortal?" Yusei said.

Jack turned to the guys, overhearing the Earthbound Immortal talk.

"It's an Earthbound Immortal that's been sealed away in the snake geoglyph an additional 5,000 years before the other Earthbound Immortals…", Greiger explained. "The Earthbound Immortal that fought the Crimson Dragon to exhaustion was sealed away in a geoglyph. That Immortal is…Red Nova!"

"That's right", Estelle-Familiar confessed before he laughed. "The Earthbound Immortal that even the Dark Signers couldn't use is my master."

Jack could sense that Red Nova was awakening and the feeling frightened him. Estelle-Familiar noticed how the blonde man looked scared and laughed at him.

"I know! It's scary, isn't it? Because Red Nova will soon be revived!" the fused being cheered joyfully.

A weak roar came from the statue that represented Red Nova, and the roar caused the whole cave to rumble.

"That noise…", Yusei mumbled.

"It's Red Nova!" Jack concluded.

The Signers' Marks glowed, telling them the snake geoglyph was appearing in the sky outside with Annie as the hidden geoglyph in the desert was revealed by the dark power.

**XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV**

Cometa, Yusei's twin, and the child looked at me as if I was an alien after I had assumed the man was Yusei.

Cometa chuckled as she shook her head. "I'm afraid you're mistaking Yuus for someone else."

"But…", I snuck a peek at the man's bare right arm and saw he had the Head Mark. "My friend has the same Mark as Yuus…"

"That's impossible", Yuus narrowed his eyes. "Only the Signers are born with the Mark of the Dragon."

Cometa looked like she was thinking deeply about something. The child in Yuus's arms looked up and saw something which brought him a smile. The boy had Cometa's hairstyle and color, but his cobalt eyes were inherited from Yuus. It was obviously their child.

"Lu-lu!" the boy clapped his hands.

"Cometa! Yuus!" two children voice shouted behind me.

I turned around and thought at first that I saw Leo and Luna running towards us, except I noticed difference between my twins and these twins. These twins were around in their early teenage years, probably 13, and had the same hair color and eyes as my twins, but the girl's hair was down and long and the bangs looked like the adult anime Luna I had seen back in my dimension. The boy's ponytail was a bit messy and longer than Leo's. They were also as tanned as Cometa and Yuus.

"Luca. Lua", Yuus smiled at the sight of the twins.

Luca and Lua came up to us as their eyes were at me, both of them looking excited. "So the stranger is awake now?" the boy asked.

The girl slapped the back of his head. "Of course she is, Lua! She's standing right in front of us."

Lua rubbed the back of his head while smiling sheepishly. "I can see it, Luca."

I chuckled at the scene. They didn't just look like my twins; they were also acting in the same way. I spotted the Hand Mark and the Heart Mark on their right arms.

"What's going on here?" a new female voice asked.

A woman in early twenties walked up to us, looking a bit curious. She looked like Akiza with the same hairstyle, except her front bangs only reached down to her chin and she didn't have a hairpin, and same brown eyes. Her skin was the same as for everyone.

"Aki", Cometa smiled. "The stranger that you and Kurou found is awake now."

Aki turned to me and smiled. "It's nice to see you weren't seriously injured."

I nodded in return. "Thank you."

"I told you that's not how it works, idiot!" a loud male voice shouted, getting our attention.

"Oh, so you say you know things better than how I do, Kurou?" another male voice retorted sarcastically.

We turned to the direction and saw two young men walk towards us. One of them looked like Jack, except he had long hair that reached to his shoulder-blades and tanned skin. He had the Wings Mark. The other man looked a bit different from Crow; he had the same orange color, but not the same hairstyle. It was long and reached down to the shoulders, but compared to Crow, he had bangs that were slanted to the left, half-covering the left eye. His skin was as tanned as everyone's and he had the Tail Mark.

Aki sighed, "And there they go again…"

"Nothing's new with them", Luca added.

"That's how Jakku and Kurou interact with each other", Yuus chuckled. "They never give up."

Jakku and Kurou truly resembled Jack and Crow whenever they argued about something.

"Hey, guys!" Lua waved his hand. "The stranger is awake!"

Jakku and Kurou stopped their glaring competition and turned to us. Jakku's eyes narrowed when they landed on me. The glare was icy-cold, just like how Jack's glares used to be before the Dark Signers war.

Kurou walked up to us first and put on a charming smile that was similar to Crow's. "Hey! Sorry you had to hear our fight. I'm Kurou! Nice to meet you!"

I nodded lightly. "It's okay. I'm-"

"What are you still doing here?" Jakku frowned as he joined us.

I snapped my head at Jakku, knowing he was talking to me. "Excuse me?"

Jakku kept glaring at me. "You heard me."

"Jakku, come on!" Kurou whined. "Don't start another fight!"

Jakku turned to the Signers and Cometa and sneered at them. "Have you guys forgotten about the war with the Crimson Devil we had a few weeks ago? What if this woman…" He pointed at me with a disgusting look. "…is one of Red Nova's servant like that Familiar who nearly killed Cometa and the rest of us?!"

"Jakku!" Luca shouted. "Don't say that in front of Polvo!"

"Yeah! He almost got traumatized when he saw Cometa, Yuus and the rest of us dying!" Lua added.

Polvo? Was it the child's name?

I turned to Yuus and saw how the boy in his arms lost his smile and hid his face against his father's chest. Yuus patted Polvo's head and whispered gentle words while gently rocking his body. Cometa stepped closer to Yuus, her warm eyes on Polvo, and rubbed the back of the child's head. Polvo leant against his mother's hand and whimpered lightly.

The sight of the family made my heart warm, and it gave me the feeling of yearning. I yearned to one day have my own warm family like theirs. But the idea also crushed my heart because I knew I would never love someone just as much as I loved Yusei, and I would leave him in the end.

I suddenly felt goosebumps all over my body. It wasn't by a cold wind. It was by an aura that felt like it was burning so intense that it could catch me on fire. Then the next thing I heard was a painful yelp from Jakku. I looked up and saw him rub the top of his head while glaring at someone new who had joined us.

"Do you always have to do that, brother?" Jakku growled.

I turned to the new man and I felt my jaw drop in shock. The man looked exactly like the Legendary Signer from what I could remember from my dimension. He had the full Mark of the Dragon on the left of his chest and his eyes were literally dragon eyes. But wait… Jakku just called him brother, but they didn't really resemble each other…

"It is the only way to make sure you behave, Jakku", the Legendary Signer spoke with a deep voice that was similar to the Crimson Dragon's.

Cometa smiled lightly at the Signer. "Ah, Carmes. The stranger has awakened, but she seems to be a bit disoriented."

Carmes turned to me and our eyes made contact. His eyes were so intense, and yet it was hard to look away. He stepped closer to me and eyed me, as if searching for answers from my eyes.

I felt myself getting nervous. Was he going to expose me being a Crimson Star Priestess too? If he did so, then wouldn't a huge uproar explode in the village? Would the Signers and the people of the village hurt me for assuming for being a spy or a fake?

Carmes removed his eyes from me before he spoke out. "She carries the blessing of the Crimson Dragon. She is the Crimson Star Priestess from the future."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**To be continued… Yeah, sorry that I cut the chapter here, but I don't want to spoil all the nice stuff. There will be more in the next chapter.**

**I chose the first Priestess's name Cometa because it means "comet" in Spanish. I thought it had a nice clang for the first Priestess. The child's name Polvo comes from "dust", since I wanted to have a name connected to Stardust Dragon, AKA his daddy's Signer Dragon. I used Carmes as the name for the Legendary Signer, and that is a short version of "carmesí" which means "crimson". Perfect for a Signer connected to the Crimson Dragon, right?**

**And, a very big yes, I used the Signers' Japanese names for the first Signers and appearance, except I shortened Yusei's Japanese name (Yuusei) to Yuus.**

**You can find Cometa's image on my account on DeviantArt, including an art of Estelle-Familiar.**


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